WITCH: The Bloody Throne
by Madam Ionah
Summary: After returning from their vacation in the woods and discovering her pregnancy, Will thinks she can relax with her husband for a bit. However, outside forces have other plans for the newlyweds and their friends. What is going to happen to them? Who will live? Who will die? I do not own WITCH. Image by MeiKeiLo from DA
1. Chapter 1

Perhaps Will was right about him being an insomniac, after all, he went to bed late, had trouble falling and staying asleep, and wakes up before the sun peeks over the horizon. Then again, it had never hurt him in the past, and now that he knew they were going to be parents, he might not seek out a cure for it. He enjoyed the moments at night when he was awake and could watch his wife sleeping peacefully; all he had to do was stay still and she wouldn't notice. He knew her nightly habits of tossing and turning, covering herself up and uncovering herself, stretching and curling into a tight ball against him; it all fit her and she fit to him. Today, was another one of those early mornings, the sun barely peeking over the horizon and the sky had just turned a deep shade of purple when he woke up and looked over at his sleeping, pregnant, wife. Laying next to her, with her red hair a tasseled mess and the top knot of her nightgown undone as to reveal a bit of her back and the curve of her shoulder, he couldn't help but smile at her. He could still hardly believe everything that had happened in his life that led to this and he still wasn't sure if this wasn't all just a dream; however, if it was he never wanted to wake up. Sure, he could have lived his life without her, if it hadn't been for the poison, but he didn't like the idea of a life without her. She managed to make him laugh, feel warm, and made his life interesting; a life without her simply seemed boring in comparison.

Even though he didn't want this peaceful moment to end, he knew he would have to wake her soon. She had school and he had work; furthermore, with her condition, he wanted her to endure as little stress as possible. Considering her habit of sleeping in, she usually had to rush in order to make it on time. With a sigh, he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. "It is time to wake up."

In response, Will scrunched up her nose and curled into a tight ball. He chuckled and ran his fingers along her shoulder, which prompted Will to cover herself with the blankets. She knew she had to get to school, but she didn't want to get out of the warm bed. Gently, so not to hurt her or cause her any unnecessary stress, he pulled the blanket from his wife and smiled down at her. "It is time for you to get up."

"It is too early." Groaned Will and turned around so her back faced her husband.

"It is 5:30 am and you take an ice age to wake up. I want to make sure you'll get to school on time."

"I don't want to go to school. We just came back from the cabin; we deserve a day to ourselves." She replied and covered her head with a pillow. "Besides, I am too pregnant to go to school."

"Is that so?" he asked and raised an eyebrow at her. "Well then, I'll ask the physician to proscribe permanent bedrest for you until you deliver. I am just not sure how we will explain your absence to your mother." At this, Will groaned and sat up in bed; she had promised her mother that nothing would happen between her and Phobos until she was older, so coming clean to her mother right now was out of the question.

"Can't I say I have a cold from the trip? I really don't want to get up." She asked as she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and leaned against her husband. "Besides, it is cold, and the bed is cozy. I want you to hold me for a while."

Just like on Earth, it was Winter in Meridian and snow covered the land in a soft, thin blanket. There had been a fire burning in the bedroom's fireplace to warm the room up, but it had extinguished at some point during the night; leaving only some residual warmth and the smell of burning cider-wood. Will had a point, the room was considerably cooler than the bed, but the daily grind wasn't going to wait for them, so with a sigh, he gently nudged her. "Sorry, but I am meeting with the Duchess of Ero and Lord Ruslan of Morovia to finalize the peace treaties between the two kingdoms. If you so desire it, you can call in sick and stay in bed; however, I have to get to the daily grind."

"No," Will complained and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "The bed will get cold without you. You can't do this to your pregnant wife."

"Wilhelmina, I am giving you an ultimatum. Either you are staying in bed on your own or you are going to school and we will see each other this evening when you come back. I cannot skip out on this important meeting; there is a chance the turmoil between the two kingdoms can be extinguished in just a few hours. This would mean that our child wouldn't have to worry about it." He replied, gave her a gentle hug, and slipping out from between the sheets. Will groaned in protest and grabbed hold of his sleeve before he could get his bearings, pulling him back onto the bed and pulling him on top of her. With surprise at the edge of his voice, he asked. "What are you doing?"

"Please let us spend one more minute together." Mumbled Will as she pressed her face against his chest. Her legs and back still hurt from the long drive and she didn't want to get up. She enjoyed the way the warm blanket felt and the comforting weight of her husband against her. For a minute, Phobos gave into his wife's demands and wrapped his arms around her. He too didn't want to get up; if he could, he would have canceled the meeting and spent the day holding Will and discussing their future together with the child on the way. However, the drone of the large, dark wood grandfather clock in their bedroom reminded him of the day at hand and he, begrudgingly, pulled himself from her arms.

"Wilhelmina, it is 6:00 in the morning. I have to go; I'll see you this evening." He then kissed her forehead and left before she could grab him again. Will only frowned and tightened her hold on the blank, contemplating if she should stay in bed or go to school. Knowing her husband, he would stay true to his word on having the physician prescribe bedrest; furthermore, she knew skipping school would attract her mother's attention. With one final groan of protest, Will forced herself out of the warm and comfortable bed.

In the bathroom, she went through the normal morning process of washing her face, brushing her teeth, combing her hair in a vain attempt to control her uncontrollable cowlicks, and looking herself over in the mirror. As she looked at herself, she lifted the front of her sweater out a little and imagined a bump. How long would it take for her to start showing and she wondered how she would break the news. Knowing her friends and family, Irma would be ecstatic and so would Hay-Lyn. Taranee would be excited as well but would try to keep herself reserved. However, her mother would have a cow the moment Will came out to her. Susan had already insinuated that Phobos was abusing Will and that bothered the young queen; sure, they hadn't planned on having a child this early in their marriage, but they were married. At first, they had tried to keep their hands off each other, well at least he tried to keep his hands off her; however, Will simply couldn't help herself. She was a teenager with raging hormones and a handsome man at her beck and call. However, explain this to Susan would be like explaining a modern telephone to a Mesopotamian priest, Susan would never believe Will's word that she had instigated their deeper relationship. However, Will knew her mother only meant well and, if she were in Susan's shoes, she would act the same.

Snapping back to reality, Will finished her morning routine and stepped through the portal that leads to Cedric's antique bookstore. By now, she knew the layout of the place and that she had to move the shelf back in place to hide the portal; she even had her own key to the store so she could open and close the door. For all Heatherfield knew, she had a part-time job at Yee Ol' Books. When she stepped out of the store and into the nearly dead streets of Heatherfield, Will regretted not staying in bed that day. The cold from the day of their trip, which was a dry and bone-chilling cold, was replaced with a wet kind that clung to every fiber of her being and made her feel miserable

To add to the cold inconvenience, Will stepped into a puddle and the water soaked through the stitching of her shoe soles. She wanted to head right back to Meridian and curl up under the blankets with her husband; however, her husband wouldn't be there when she got back. He would be in another place of the castle and she would have to explain her absence; it was better to simply head to class and endure the cold. Still, she felt like getting some form of retribution from him when she returned in the evening.

When she reached the gates of the Sheffield Institute, the first thing she saw was her three friends waiting for her at the foot of the steps and Matt at the top leaning against the doors. Will inwardly groaned at this; since she married Phobos, Matt had been leering at her. Sure, he had kept his distance from her, as she had made that clear last time they spoke, but he still stared at her whenever they were in the same room. He never spoke to other girls, unless they were partners in a school assignment and, from what she heard in the hallway rumors, he hadn't found anyone new. Part of her had hoped they could have remained friends after the break-up, but she couldn't get the image of him stabbing her husband out of her head. She still had nightmares about that day from time to time and probably would for the rest of her life. It was that imagery that prevented her from ever talking to him again; if she could, she would have changed schools, but that was out of the question, so the best she could do was ignore him.

"Hey girls, have any of you recovered from the drive?" Will asked with a tired smile when she finally reached her friends. They all looked as tired as Will felt; though, whether that was jetlag or trauma from discovering the existence of skin-crawlers Will couldn't tell.

"More or less," replied Taranee while stretching her back like a cat, "I couldn't sleep without imagining Janet standing over my bed."

"Same here." Replied Hay-Lyn while rubbing her eyes. She had told her grandmother everything in the hopes that Yan-Lyn would have an answer as to the origins of skin-crawlers. To her surprise, the old woman had never heard of such a creature.

"My butt is still vibrating; makes me wish there was a dancing contest so I can shake it off." Complained Irma before shooting Will a friendly smile. "And how are you? Is your ankle recovering alright?"

"My ankle is fine, but my husband is an ass." Replied Will while returning the smile.

"What did he do now?" Asked Hay-Lyn knowing this was going to be good.

"He made me get out of bed."

"Hit him with a cast-iron skillet." Responded Irma, which made the entire group burst out laughing. After catching her breath and wiping a stray tear from her eye, she continued. "If you want, Danny can help you. She is coming to Heatherfield earlier than expected. Her sister Ella has gotten a job and a house here; according to the phone call from Sheela this morning, Danny will be here next week."

"That is great!" cheered Hay-Lyn, jumping in place like an excited child. Despite the events they had encountered at the cabin, Hay-Lyn enjoyed Danny's hilarious stories and wanted to hear more.

"I agree with Hay-Lyn." Added Taranee, but her smile quickly turned to an expression of concern. "But, I thought Sheela wanted to train Danny in the family practice. Did she change her mind?"

"I ain't got the foggiest of a clue. I didn't get a chance to ask her since it was my mom who picked up the call and told me. But, I am sure we can ask Danny when she gets here." Replied Irma and, before Will had the chance to ask something, the bell rang the girls had to head in before they were late for class. As the group wandered through the busy school halls, they came across the doors that lead to the school's swimming pool; Will was grateful that it was both Winter and that the pool's heating system had broken down. This effectively halted the swimming team until summer and Will was sure that she would have delivered the baby by then. She knew she could hide the bump under sweaters and hoodies for the longest, but there was no way that should do the same in a skin-tight swimsuit.

As the day continued, Will's mind kept wandering back the little life growing inside her and what it would be like. She had been around babies in the past and they never liked her. She liked holding babies and playing with them, but babies only ever stared at her or cried if they were handed to her; she hoped her own child would like her. Furthermore, she wondered how the pregnancy would go; she had only known for three days and still couldn't comprehend the fact that she was going to become a mother in less than a year. She was happy and excited, but also scared and worried. Furthermore, she was worried about the delivery; sure, it was months away, but she cringed at the thought of being in pain for hours. As she daydreamed throughout class, she wondered where she would have it. Should she have it in Meridian or Earth; Meridian would be its' rightful home, but Earth had a more advanced medical system, from what she had gathered in the months she had lived here. She wondered if it would be a girl or a boy; she had told her husband that she didn't care and she still didn't but knew Meridian customs demanded a princess. Should she have a boy, would the people accept him?

Her daydreaming was cut short in History class when Dean called on her to answer a question. He had noticed Will's mind wondering and felt it proper to call her back to reality. Sure, Will was a queen and he let her get away with a lot outside of school hours, but History class was his domain and all, even queens from other worlds, would pay their respect.

"Miss Vandom, could you please answer the question as to who the Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut was married to?" Dean asked with a humorous wiggle of his mustache.

For Will, a brief moment of embarrassment was had.

XXXXX

Author's Note:

Yes, I am posting the first chapter now. I can't promise a weeky upload like I did with The Inbetween and Cries from the Woods, but I can promise a monthly upload until I get my life sorted out. I had this chapter mostly done after I finished Cries from the Woods. I have a few questions.

Do you prefer Will acting more adult or more childish?

Do you want long chapters (2,500-3,000 words) or long chapters (3,500 + words)

I will try to post both The Prince's Frozen Heart and The Bloody Throne at the same time for you folks, but I am only 1 person. Thank you guys so much for your continuous support.


	2. Chapter 2

For Will, the rest of the day had been spent sneaking daydreams between lessons and picking at her lunch from the cafeteria. Since discovering her pregnancy, the topic of children and family has been on her mind and she couldn't stop it. She through of anything from childbirth to retirement where she hoped she and her husband would be the kind of retirees that spent their day traveling the countryside while telling their grandchildren stories of the good-old-days; she also hoped Meridian Royals would be allowed to retire when their child is mature enough to rule on their own. Luckily, her friends weren't too chatty that day, either recovering from the drive or getting reacclimated to the grind of school. They hadn't mentioned the incident at the cabin or the news that Danny would visit sooner than expected; for the four girls, it was simply another school day. As the day dragged on, Will considered visiting Diana in the Inbetween; she hadn't seen her friend since the wedding and, considering time worked differently in the Inbetween, Diana probably hasn't seen Will in approximately a full year. Right before the lunch bell rang to signal the end of the free time, Will turned to her friends with a smile. "Hey, how about we visit the Inbetween after school and say 'Hi' to Diana and Sophia?"

"That is the best idea you ever had!" cheered Hay-Lyn, pouncing in her seat as if the Inbetween were Disneyland. Clearly, her spirits have been lifted.

"Sure, it would be fun. I am curious how those two are going." Replied Taranee, she had also wondered if Diana was engaged by now but didn't want to get Irma hyped up too much.

"I want to score some of that tea!" No one was surprised that this was what was on Irma's mind. With that, it was settled, and the group would visit the Inbetween right after school. Will wasn't sure if the portal that the back of the school still functioned or if it had been closed, but she thought that it wouldn't hurt to try; besides, surely Diana would have notified them if that was the case.

Once the final bell rang, Taranee, Hay-Lyn, Irma, and Will hurried to the loading area behind the school; making sure no one was following them along the way. They were sure that, should they be caught, that they would be sentenced to detention for a month. When they reached the backside of the school, Will and the girls weren't sure where exactly the portal was and had to spend a good minute fondling the brickwork before Taranee's hand dipped into the wall. With a beaming smile on her face, she cheered, "Found it!"

Within seconds they stood before the familiar Victorian door with its oval, stained glass, window. As if no time had changed, the moment they finished knocking the door swung open to reveal Diana's calm and welcoming self. With a smile and a content shake of her head, she welcomed her friends. "I was wondering when you guys were going to visit."

"Sorry we took so long," began Will with an apologetic and embarrassed smile. "We got a little busy."

"Yeah, Will and her husband were almost eaten by a creature." Added Irma, unable to stop or care if the words fell out of her mouth or how they would be perceived by her audience. As expected, Diana looked at the group in mortification and with the hopes that what Irma said was a poor attempt at comedy. Taranee only patted Diana on the shoulder and gave her an apologetic look that signaled that they would explain later.

"Well…where are my manners…can I offer you, girls, some tea?" offered Diana after catching herself and regaining he bearings. "My husband is in the kitchen as well, if you would like to meet him."

At this Irma's jaw hit the floor in shock. "You got married without inviting us?"

"What do you mean?" replied Diana was a raised eyebrow.

"We are your friends; how can you get married without telling us!"

"I have to agree with Irma," Added Hay-Lyn, "We could have congratulated you and brought you wedding gifts."

"I understand that weddings are a big event in your world, but in mine, they are a simple contract that requires neither church nor guests. All they require is a judge and a witness. Henry's father and my cousin Eric served as witnesses, so the marriage took place in less than 2 hours. I didn't even wear a fancy dress like you did, Will." This made sense to all but Irma, considering the war-torn state Diana's culture thrived in it was understandable that marriage wasn't considered a major event. Irma, however, still sulked over the missed opportunity. With the matter of her marriage settled, Diana led the group to the kitchen where, at the small kitchen table that the group always had their tea at, sat a young man reading a newspaper. Surely, this was Henry.

In all forms of his appearance, Henry appeared warm and welcoming. His cheeks were rosy and slightly hidden behind a perfectly shaped handlebar mustache. His straw-blond hair was perfectly combed back and fir to his green-blue eyes. All this coupled with his square jaw, strong neck, broad shoulders, strong worker's hands, and the olive green suit he wore gave him the appearance of grandfather after jumping into a youth fountain. The only thing that marred this perfectly peaceful appearance was an eyepatch that covered his right eyes. This the group could look past this, but Diana wouldn't stand for this. As if he were a dog, she snapped her fingers at him to catch his attention; it worked and Henry looked up from his newspaper "We have guests, please go and wear your glass eye so they don't have to see your eyepatch."

"Yes dear." Was Henry's quick response and get shot up from his seat as if a drill sergeant had yelled at him. The girls tried to protest, saying that the sight of his eyepatch didn't bother him, but Diana only waved her hand at their words and ordered them to take their seat as she went to make them their tea. Henry returned within the minute, clearly having adapted to the way the Inbetween bent space and joined the girls at the table with a warm smile and light laughter. "Sorry, you girls had to see my patch. Had I known we would have guests I would have put in my eye this morning."

His glass eye was a similar color to his left eye, but it lacked the organic glimmer of a real eye and it didn't move with the other; giving him the impression of having a dead lazy eye.

"You didn't have to put in your fake eye for us, we don't mind." Replied Hay-Lyn, her attention fully on Henry's right eye.

"Nonsense, it is only polite that I ear it in the company of guests." He then turned his attention to Diana, who was busying herself preparing a plate of cookies. "My dear, could you pour a shot of whiskey in my tea?"

"Of course." Replied Diana without turning to face her husband. Within five minutes, the group was drinking tea and enjoying their treats while catching up on the past month's events; including the events at the cabin. These did not settle well with Diana.

"So, you were almost eaten by a monster?" Diana asked Will with a shocked expression on her face.

"My husband and I were attacked by a wild animal, but everything is alright, as you can see." Replied Will over the rim of her tea-cup. "Sure, it was scary, but Irma's extended family managed just fine."

"Still, how can you be comfortable around a wild animal that can mimic human appearance?"

"We didn't know Janet was a skin-crawler until our vacation was practically over. Furthermore, except attempting to steal Taranee's glasses and grabbing at my husband, Janet hadn't done anything maliciously."

"She scared me in the basement!" Interjected Irma with a frown.

"I don't think she meant to scare you." Said Taranee in Janet's defense. Sure, the human-looking skin-crawler had been uncomfortable to be around and she still feared waking up at night to find that girl looking down at her, but she didn't think Janet understood her own actions. To Janet, getting the glasses was on the same level as breathing or curling-up in her cubby-hole.

"She still scared me worse than when Melvin found my home address." Replied Irma and folded her arms over her chest; not accepting any excuses for Janet's actions. In an attempt to change the subject, Irma smiled at both Diana and Henry. "So, when are you two planning on having kids?"

Henry nearly choked on his tea and Diana looked at her friend in mortification; Will hid her face in her hands in embarrassment.

"We aren't having children." Answered Henry after catching his breath.

"Why not? You two are married and probably have businesses that need to be handed down to the next generation."

"I can't have children." At Diana's words, the group fell silent. They all knew Diana had survived a war and that she had lost her family in that war, however, they hadn't expected this to have been taken from her as well. "I have too much metallic shrapnel in my body to safely have a child. Henry and I have decided to wait and adopt in a few years once his business is rebuilt." Under the table, Taranee lightly kicked Irma's leg as punishment. Luckily, Diana didn't dwell on it and soon, the group was back to laughing and chatting as though the Earth-shattering news had never been brought up.

XXXXX

Back in Meridian, Phobos sat in the throne room awaiting the arrival of Duchess Armana and Lord Ruslan. He hadn't been separated from Will for too long and the stinging sensation in his chest was only beginning; feeling similar to a limb regaining sensation after falling asleep. However, despite the prospect of peace between Ero and Morovia at hand, he wasn't looking forward to the meeting. Ruslan was an old war general with a short temper and a liquor breath strong enough to knock out an ox. Sure, he was a respectable man; he had valiantly fought in the Battle of the Strom1 for Morovia and had risked his life on several occasions, even taking an arrow to the eye in an assassination attempt on Morovia's king.

However, for all his noble deeds, Ruslan was a very vain and boastful man. He made sure that in every conversation, whether related to the subject or not, he could mention his valiant acts and wouldn't allow the conversation to resume until he felt proper praise was given.

Duchess Armana Ero, despite being related to Phobos by the marriage between Queen Seras and King Piegan, didn't rank much higher in Phobos's mind than Ruslan. Phobos hardly knew Armana and this didn't bother him, what bothered him was that Armana looked down upon all who were either younger than her or of a lower status than her. She held some respect for Phobos, but only what was necessary for his rank. He knew that, in her eyes, he was just a child wearing a crown and he could tolerate this as long as she would work with him. What he couldn't look past were the slide comments she had made at his wedding about his wife.

During the wedding reception, as he answered questions and accepted blessings, he overheard Armana comment on how a girl from another world, who has little to no understanding or education on the 10 kingdoms of Metamoor would hardly be fit as a Rose Maiden2, let alone a Queen. When he heard this, he wanted to strangle the Duchess then and there, but he had restrained himself. He couldn't guarantee that the same would be said this time.

After a good hour after the meeting was supposed to have started, Armana arrived before Ruslan accompanied by her son Dante and a servant cloaked in a gray hood. This was to be expected, Metamoor royals usually traveled with a minimum of 1 servant and Dante was now 13-years old; it was about time that the young man learned the odds and ends of royal business affairs. In all truth, it would have been more practical if the young man were involved in these things so he could become accustomed to the practices, but there was little Phobos could do about this now.

When she entered, she immediately performed an exaggerated bow, "It truly is an honor to be invited to Meridian, your highness." Her voice was sickly sweet. "Even if it is under less than pleasurable circumstances."

Dante mimicked his mother's motions, unsure of what to do. He had never been outside of Ero and had never interacted with other royals outside of his family. Here, in Meridian and standing in front of King Phobos, he felt more than intimidated; he felt afraid. He feared that he would mess something up and that his mother would be cross with him. Luckily, Phobos could sense the uneasiness in the young man's movements and offered a welcoming grin. This did take some weight off Dante's chest and he even managed a rare smile; perhaps this day wouldn't be too tough for him.

"I welcome you to Meridian, Duchess Armana Ero, and son Dante. Is there anything you wish while awaiting the arrival of Lord Ruslan?" replied Phobos while gesturing for the two guests to take their seat at the table he had brought into the throne room for this meeting. The two royals took their seat where Armana was quick to note the absence of the Queen.

"Oh, Queen Wilhelmina won't be accompanying us during this meeting? What a shame, I would have enjoyed her company. She and my niece, Queen Isabela, seemed to have gotten along quite well at the wedding reception."

"Queen Wilhelmina has important duties to attend to back on Earth." He knew what Armana was insinuating by pointing out Will's absence, but he wouldn't let this get under his skin. He would endure this for the sake of settling the tensions. He had a child to fix the world for.

Armana had a comment on the Queen's loyalty at chest level but chose to keep it to herself. She knew when she could and when she couldn't get away with slighting others. Being a guest in the largest kingdom wasn't one of those times she could get away with it. As the group sat at the table and waited for their final royal to appear, the cloaked servant remained standing in the corner of the room in case they were needed.

Soon, even Ruslan managed to appear to the meeting, though he had, clearly, already dipped into a bottle or two of some of Meridian's cheapest bitter-plum liquor. The sickly sweet scent of the fruit clung to his every breath and his gait was that of one who had lost a vertebra in their spine while his eyelids drooped and a trail of saliva ran down the corner of his mouth and into his grizzled, gray, beard. At the mere sight of the old man, Armana scrunched up her nose and suppressed a gag when the smell hit her.

"Pardon my delay, I have been kept up at the pub by relaying my war efforts to the youth." Boasted the old man with a voice similar to that of a barking dog. "I say, I have never seen so many young and able-bodied men wasting their day. Why aren't they in battle, getting scars and building their character to woe the ladies?" then, as if finally registering that he was in the presence of a superior, he bowed before the King before taking his seat opposite of Duchess Armana and her son. That was then the old man, with his graying eyes, noticed the boy at the table and gave out a drunk chuckle. "Brought the baby along for sympathy today, didn't we?"

While Armana shot Ruslan a dirty look, Phobos suppressed the urge to roll his eyes to the point he could see the back of his skull. This was unquestionably going to be a grinding day.

Battle of the Strom: A battle between Morovia and Cina that started when the Artech Duke of Cina denied the arranged marriage with the Marquess of Morovia, which caused the fragile women to die of a broken heart. This battle occurred 20 years before the events of The Inbetween.

Rose Maiden: A form or Royal Concubine, usually the youngest son or daughter of other royals who wouldn't be fit to marry off to another family. Meridian hadn't performed this practice in over 100 years.

List of Metamoor kingdoms from largest to smallest: Meridian, Gia, Cina, Turrun, Morovia, Claudan, Mormona, Ero, Kita, and Zun.

This is my fanfiction interpretation and it will all make sense at some point in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

Back and forth, back and forth the arguments and demands went between the Duchess of Ero and the Lord of Morovia. Each turn, Ruslan or Armana would make a demand, the other would deny it or would argue until the King got involved and ordered them to return their attention to the matter at hand. This would last all of five minutes before the two adults would return to squabbling like spoiled children; neither one willing to give into any of the other's demands. At his point, the thought of a lobotomy sounded very pleasurable to King Phobos.

"What about the Eroian holdings on the eastern shore? The people have already see themselves as part of Morovia, why not give them their wish?" argued Ruslan, but Armana would have none of it.

"The only reason the people see themselves as part of Morovia is that your kingdom keeps invading them. They only accept Morovia because they would be burnt and pillaged otherwise. I will not let you take a holding that had been in Ero's possession since it's conception. The Great King Rumniar didn't give these lands to his only son if he didn't think they would be kept in the family."

"King Rumniar also promised the mountain range of Mormonia to his youngest daughter, but as you see Morovia isn't in possession of them." Countered Ruslan.

"Both of you stop it." Spoke Phobos and the two bickering royals stopped what they were doing. "Ero will not be giving up its holdings on the eastern shore. Morovia already had a seaport for trade, therefore the eastern holdings aren't necessary. Neither will Morovia give up any land to Ero. Find another way to solidify the contract." This back and forth had been going on for hours and King Phobos had gotten a headache by now. Furthermore, the pain from the poison was adding to his irritation; he wanted the day to be over and he couldn't wait for his wife to return. Surely, she was having a better day than him. Perhaps some of Will's hot temper had rubbed off on him or he had simply reached his end for the day. These two royals weren't adults, they were children and he was the babysitter. "Neither one of you are leaving this table until you have come to an agreement and sign the peace treaty."

At this, the two royals fell silent for a long moment; both had hoped to gain something out of this meeting other than trade benefits. Ruslan was trying to obtain the sea holdings for his King Orlan and Armana was trying to expand Ero's territory towards the west where the weather was warmer. Now that this was no longer an option, they sat in semi-silent where Armana was drumming her fingers on the table and Ruslan was grinding his molars. They knew there was an option to solidify the peace, but neither wanted to admit to it. The best way to guarantee peace between Ero and Morovia was for one of the Ero royals to become a Céile Siombalach 5. Deciding to be the bigger man, Ruslan leaned back in his seat and smiled, he didn't like Duchess Armana, but he too was tired of the constant fighting between the two kingdoms. "Well, Duchess Armana, which one of your available nieces would you volunteer to act as a Céile Siombalach?"

"Neither." Responded Armana in a cold tone. Her oldest niece, Princess Myra, devoted her life to literature and her youngest niece Korinthia was too young, being only 10. Furthermore, she was certain that Queen Isabela didn't fancy adding the title of Céile Siombalach to King Orlan to her name; the young queen, despite being newly married and a new mother made it clear that her full devotion was to her husband Victor. Lastly, the retired Queen Seras was expecting her last child with the retired King Piegan, so she didn't qualify for the role either; leaving only her as an available female. The mere thought of having the title of Céile Siombalach added to her name made her sick to her stomach. However, she remembered a conversation she had the previous day with her newest advisor, who recommended she accept the offer should it become available. With a small smile on her red-painted, perfectly formed lips and a gentle tone in her voice, she spoke.

"Neither of my nieces is available for various reasons and neither is the retired Queen Seras. However, should King Orlan accept it, I would offer myself for the position." At his, Lord Ruslan froze and nearly choked on his own spit. Even King Phobos sat in silence, surprised by the Duchess's sudden change in demeanor. Her son Dante, unsure of what Céile Siombalach meant, sat in silence and looked back and forth from his mother to the Lord. With her voice still sickly sweet, Armana continued. "I already have a child and I do not have a husband. Therefore, King Orlan mustn't worry about a jealous husband or an accidental lineage. With me, we can fulfill the purest meaning of the title. It is for the best of both kingdoms if I am accepted as Orlan's Céile Siombalach."

Lord Ruslan looked to King Phobos, for the first time in ages unsure of what to do. Phobos, himself, was taken aback; he knew of Armana's dislike of King Orlan, there were very few who like the teen king, so having her volunteer for the position of Céile Siombalach was unheard of. However, this was the surest way to ensure the battle between the two kingdoms ceased; If he condoned this contractual marriage, his future child would have one less worry in its life. If it weren't for the child growing under his wife's heart, he wouldn't agree, but here his hands were bound. Clearing his throat, he caught himself from falling too far into contemplation as to Armana's ulterior motives. "Duchess Armana Ero, it is very valiant of you to volunteer for such a position. Are you absolutely sure there is no other way?"

"Myra has devoted herself to celibacy, Isabela is devoted to her husband and is a recent mother, and Korinthia is too young. The retired Queen Seras is expecting her fourth child, there are no other available females of high enough ranking to be eligible for the position. I am the clearest choice." Armana responded, still smiling while suppressing the urge to vomit. She knew enough of the teenage king to know that he would insist she visit his kingdom if she went through with this plan and she hated the idea of having his inexperienced hands anywhere near her. Still, there was a greater plan, and this would be a mild inconvenience compared to the reward that awaited her.

"Acting as a Céile Siombalach at your age?" Ruslan joked, trying to make Armana's suggestion too ludicrous for King Phobos to consider.

"With a woman at my age, King Orlan mustn't worry about creating a child with me." Countered Armana and kept smiling. "Again, I am the best option."

"Are there any objections?" King Phobos interjected before Ruslan and Armana could devolve back into arguing. When neither Lord Ruslan nor Duchess Armana spoke, he continued. "Then I condone the suggestion and declare Duchess Armana as King Orlan's Céile Siombalach. If there aren't any further questions or demands, I suggest we fully sign the peace treaty between the two kingdoms."

There were no further demands.

XXXXX

Back on Earth, after visiting the Inbetween, the girls went their separate ways. Irma was still a little shocked about the revelation of Diana's condition and wished she would go back in time and stop herself from picking at sore wounds despite Diana reassuring her that she held no ill feelings towards the young water-witch. Will too was a little saddened by the fact that Diana couldn't have children, considering the little life growing inside her, but her friend seemed to take the cards life dealt her well and Will knew there was little Diana couldn't conquer. She was a little upset that she didn't get to meet Nana and Sophia but understood that they have jobs to do and knew she would see them soon enough. She planned on returning to the Inbetween the next day on her own and announce the news of her pregnancy to Diana. Diana was the daughter of a nurse and would know how to help a pregnant woman, especially since most women in Diana's village would become pregnant at Will's age, which meant that Diana wouldn't judge her like a nurse on Earth would. Furthermore, Diana knew how to keep a secret.

Now, standing before the door to her old home, Will became a little nervous at facing her mother. She loved her mother and knew any worries the woman had were to Will's health and wellbeing, but Will was still paranoid that Susan had developed psychic powers and could tell she was pregnant. She was sure that, the moment Susan found out, that she would find a way to travel to Meridian and strangle Phobos. Will took one last look at her stomach, decided she couldn't see anything and knocked on the door. As expected, Susan rushed and opened the door the moment she heard the knocks.

"Oh Will, honey, how are you?" Susan asked while giving her daughter a rib-crushing hug. Looking over Susan's shoulder, Will could see Dean sitting on the sofa, finely dressed and with a bundle of flowers laying on the coffee table in front of him. That is when Will noted that her mother was in the middle of styling her hair, come curlers were still hanging in her silky black hair and smelled of perfumed powder. Surely, they were in the middle of getting ready for another date and this made Will a little embarrassed for interrupting.

"I'm fine mom. I am a little jetlagged from the drive yesterday and I could hit my husband for making me get up this morning, but I am alright." Replied Will once her mother released her. Despite being married for a little over 6 months, Will knew Susan still hadn't accepted Phobos and tried to mention him as little as possible when around her mother. Thankfully, Susan was still under the assumption that Will and Phobos slept in separate beds.

"Speaking of your husband, how is he?" asked Dean from the sofa. Unlike Susan, Dean had accepted Will's decision as long as she kept going to school and, at the very least, finished High School.

"He is jetlagged as well, but he is working through it by attending a peace meeting between Ero and Morovia. I think he said he would be meeting the Duchess of Ero and the Lord of Morovia."

"Ero and Morovia," Dean mauled the named over in his mind. "Aren't they the kingdoms created when parts of Meridian were split off?"

"Exactly those." Replied Will and Dean smiled like a kid having gotten a perfect score on a spelling test. He enjoyed getting facts like these right. "He said that it would be better if the tensions between the two kingdoms got settled now rather than later. So, what are you two up to?"

"We are going to that new Italian place that opened near the town middle. We were just getting ready. If you want, we can see about expanding the reservation from 2 to 3 persons, if you want to come along." Replied Susan and finally realized that she was only half-finished. "It is in 30 minutes, I gotta get ready!" with that, Susan rushed back to the bathroom and Will took the opportunity to sit on the sofa beside Dean.

"So, was it the jetlag that caused you to daydream in class today or was it something else?" asked Dean with his hands folded in his lap like a psychiatrist and looked over his glasses at the young queen.

"It was that and the meeting in Meridian. I should be there with Phobos, but Mom and you would be pretty peeved if I skipped school after such a long weekend."

"True, Susan and I would be worried." Dean started, but then let the sentence hang for a moment before leaning closer to Will and whispering. "Will, I am planning on proposing to your mother this evening at the restaurant. Do you think she would accept?"

Will blinked for a moment at her teacher's sudden shift in tone before a wide smile spread across her face. "THAT IS A- "Dean quickly covered Will's mouth and put a finger to his lips in the universal sign to keep quiet. Susan was only a hallway and door away from hearing them. Will's cheeks turned a little red in embarrassment at, almost, ruining the surprise. Quickly dropping her voice to a low whisper, she replied. "Sorry. She would most defiantly say yes."

"Are you sure. I mean, what if she is still a little sore about the divorce?"

"My mom and dad have been divorced for years and she is over him completely. Trust me, she will say yes. Go for it! You have my full blessing." At this Dean smiled, making his mustache bounce a bit. Will still saw Dean as a teacher and knew that, in school, he would always treat her like any other student; furthermore, the thought of her mother dating a teacher felt a little ewy, but Dean made her mother happy and that was all that mattered to Will. This moment between student and teacher was short lived when Susan reentered the living room while putting on her the last of her jewelry.

"Will, do you want to come with us? I am sure your husband wouldn't mind if you spent a little time with your mother." Asked Susan, finally managing to close the clasp of her thing, silver necklace with silver tear-drop pendant. Fitting to the necklace, she wore a low-cut, form-fitting, black dress and black heels. Dean's eyes looked like they were about to pop out their sockets and Will took this as her cue to leave.

"I'd love to, but I better get back to Meridian. Ero and Morovia act like cats and dogs put into a bag and I'd better keep an eye on my husband before he bludgeons himself to death with the nearest blunt object." Replied Will and headed for the door, only stopping to look over her shoulder and flash her mother a quick smile. "I wish you two a lovely evening."

XXXXX

That evening Will chose to lounge in the private reading room in the western side of the castle. She knew her husband would find her sooner or later and, if it hadn't been for the way he got her out of bed, she would have looked for him instead. Part of her knew, she should have gone to the throne room and seen how the peace treaty was going, but she also knew that there was little she could do to help the situation. Where Meridian held great respect and admiration towards the guardians, Ero and Morovia didn't; furthermore, she didn't know enough about either kingdom to be of much use. All she could have done was act as emotional support to her husband and, surely, Phobos would have passed up on that offer as to not appear weak before the guests. Her readings for Biology were interrupted when the door to the reading room quietly opened with a hushed creek.

When Will looked up, she saw her husband and the clear look of exhaustion and pain on his face. Externally he looked fine, but Will knew that internally, he must look like a man who lost a fight with an angry cat. "Let me guess, the meeting didn't go well?"

"The meeting went perfectly near the end. Peace has been established and Duchess Armana has volunteered to be King Orlan's Céile Siombalach to solidify the treaty." Replied Phobos and sat on the sofa beside Will. He was tired from the meeting and his chest ached from the poison; all he wanted was to go to bed, hold Will, and forget the day even existed.

"What is a Céile Siombalach?" asked Will and set her book aside to lean against her husband's shoulder. She still wanted revenge for making her get out of bed that morning, but she knew when it was appropriate and when it wasn't. Right now, wasn't the time.

"A Céile Siombalach is a form of contractual spouse."

"Oh, so she is going to marry King Orlan?"

"In a way. King Orlan is already engaged to Princess Mora of Cina." Replied Phobos and wrapped his arms around Will without realized he'd done so. He still didn't understand the full extent of the poison or what it would make him do, but he did appreciate how it brought Will into his life. To him, she was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy life.

"So…Morovia and Ero practice polygamy?"

"No, a Céile Siombalach is a form of secondary spouse that exists solely in the contract. The mere act that Armana considered the position seems odd for her. She hates Morovia and everything to do with it."

"Do you think it is a good idea that she becomes this ceile thing?" asked Will, surprised and a little concerned. She remembered meeting Armana's niece Isabela during the wedding reception but couldn't recall meeting Armana herself so all she knew about the woman was what her husband taught her. The thought of marrying someone, even when the marriage existed only on paper, sent a chill down Will's spine.

"Armana might dislike Morovia and its ruler, but she knows when to be professional and what is best for her kingdom. Besides, we managed to put our differences aside."

"Yeah, but we actually like each other."

"Only after we took the chance to talk to each other" countered Phobos and held Will at arm's length so he could properly look her in the eyes. "Listen, the chances that Armana and Orlan ever meet in person is very slim. All that the position of Céile Siombalach demands, is that Armana visits Morovia once. From there, the Duchess and the King could choose never to see each other again. If Armana desires it, she can marry someone else. I don't know how else to explain it, other than it is a partnership on paper."

"I still think it is wrong that Armana needs to be married to someone she dislikes in any form." Replied Will and thought for a moment before meeting her husband's eyes again. "Are you planning on obtaining a Céile Siombalach?"

"Meridian hasn't partaken in that practice for years. If I remember correctly, it was my great-grandfather that acted as one. You don't have to worry, I never have considered, nor do I wish to obtain one or act as one. I have enough on my hands being married to you." His attempt at humor was met by a stern glare from Will.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Will asked and pulled away from her husband's grip. Unsure of how he messed up, Phobos only blinked at Will's sudden change in mood. He heard rumors that pregnant women suffer from mood swings, but he didn't know if that happened immediately after the woman became pregnant or if he had truly messed up in his phrasing. Seeing that he wasn't catching on to his mistake, Will crossed her arms and scowled. "First you make me get out of bed, then you are trying to excuse a forced and unhappy marriage, and you didn't even ask how my day went. So far, you are acting like a real ass today."

It was the mood swings. "I offered for you to stay in bed, but you would have to come up with an excuse to your mother for your absence. Duchess Armana isn't forced into an unhappy marriage; she volunteered herself and it isn't even a proper marriage. She doesn't even have to visit Morovia if she doesn't want to. Lastly, I hadn't gotten the chance to ask you how your day was. How was your day?"

"Fine." Will snipped back, she wasn't sure why she had gotten so ticked off at her husband and now she was beginning to feel bad. Surely he must think she lost her mind. "I got cold. Diana got married without telling any of us; she also told my friends and I that she can't have any children." As Will spoke, she could feel guilt growing in her chest. Here she was, pregnant, while her close friend couldn't have any children of her own and snapping at a man who had just as difficult of a day, if not worse, than her over something she barely understood. "Dean is going to ask my mother to marry him." By now, tears were beginning to build at the corners of her eyes. "And now, I am sitting here yelling at you…"

Yep, it was the mood swings. Gently, he pulled her back into his arms and held her as a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks. In a soft voice, he spoke to her and slowly rocked her back and forth to comfort her the way she would comfort him. "I am sorry to hear that about Diana, but at least she has someone to rely on now. Furthermore, I am happy about your mother. I don't know much about Dean, but last time I saw him, your mother seemed happy with him. Now, how about I take you to bed. It appears we both had a long day."

"You are not upset that I yelled at you?" she asked, whipping away the few tears that fell.

"No, I am not upset. So far, nothing you could do would top the grueling meeting with the Duchess and the Lord. In other news, Armana invited us to visit Ero next month for her grandniece's first birthday."

"Huh?" asked Will, unsure of what he meant.

"You remember Queen Isabela of Ero and her husband."

"Of course, I remember them. Isn't she your cousin?"

"Queen Isabela has a daughter and she is turning 1-year old next month. We have been invited to her birthday and I accepted."

"You accepted an invitation to a kingdom without asking me?" asked Will, slightly panicking. She still hadn't managed to remember most of the royals in Meridian and now she was only weeks away from visiting another kingdom where she knew even less about the royal family.

"I figured, With Isabela having a toddler and Isabela's mother, the retired Queen Seras, expecting, that they could give us some advice about how to raise our own child. I don't know about you, but I have no idea how to raise a child." Replied Phobos and ran a hand through Will's hair to comfort her.

"I don't have any idea about children either, but I don't know if I can ask women I barely know about these things!"

"Queen Seras has raised three children and is expecting her fourth. Furthermore, if rumors are correct, she aided my mother when giving birth to me. In terms of birthing a child and raising them, Queen Seras is an expert." He tried to reassure her, but Will shivered at the thought of visiting another kingdom.

"Do you think it is a good idea to tell someone so early?" asked Will, still unsure about the whole idea.

"We will have to tell someone sooner or later. Might as well ask someone with experience."

Will mauled the idea over in her mind. He had a point; soon she would be 2 months in, and she would be bound to show soon after that. At the very least, she could hide it until she was 3 months in before people would become suspicious. In addition, though she wanted to ask Diana, perhaps it would be rubbing salt in the wound if Will asked her for help. Lastly, Queen Isabela and the retired Queen Seras weren't close with Irma, Taranee, and Hay-Lyn so it would be possible to obtain help while keeping her secret from her friends. With a heavy sigh, she relented. "Alright, we are going, and I'll ask the queens for help."

"Great to hear that you are considering it." Phobos then gently nudged Will. "Now, how about we head for bed. Tomorrow is another day."

"Hmmm, no," replied Will and once again crossed her arms.

"No?"

"The only way you'll get me to bed is if you carry me." Answered Will, keeping her arms crossed. She was still going to have her revenge; now was a good time for it.

Phobos only rolled his eyes at Will's behavior and picked her up, lightly lifting her up and down for a bit. "You are 95 pounds of nothing. If you wanted me to carry you, you should have just said so."

Will, keeping her arms crossed, only replied with, "I am 97 pounds and the method I chose is better."

3\. King Rumniar: Also, knowns as The Great King Rumniar or The Fifth King of Meridian's Golden Age, was the king that split off portions of Meridian to give to his only son and youngest daughter. His son created the Kingdom of Ero, and his daughter created the kingdom of Morovia. Morovia lost the Mormonia Mountain range in a citizens uprising, which caused the creation of the Kingdom Mormonia.

4\. King Orlan: 15-year old king of Morovia.

5\. Céile Siombalach: Symbolic Spouse: a form of contract marriage done between two kingdoms in desperate times. Usually, the Céile Siombalach acts as a second wife/husband to whoever they are contractually married to. No actual contact between the couple is necessary; however, in the early years of the practice it was common for the Céile Siombalach to spend one night with their new wife/husband.


	4. Chapter 4

It has been 2 weeks since Danny saw her cousin Irma and now, with only a few kilometers of road separating her from Heatherfield, the young teen was practically bouncing in her seat beside her sister Ella. Furthermore, she couldn't wait to get out of the old bus that she had been stuck in for the past 7 hours with her older sister Ella, her older brother Mike, her little sister Gwen, her baby brother Jack, Janet, and her alcoholic uncle Roger. Jack had been crying his head off for no true reason other than that he hated car rides and Gwen kept kicking the back of Danny's seat. The joys of siblinghood.

"Are we there yet?" Gwen asked for the 20th time in the past hour.

"Gwen, if you keep asking this, I will throw you out that window without hesitation." Snapped Ella from the driver's seat, brushing back a strand of her choppy, electric-blue colored, hair. She had been up for the past 18 hours and annoying drive with her siblings was the last thing she wanted. Furthermore, she hated moving back to Heatherfield. Besides a job at the local junkyard, she never managed to keep a position there; it also didn't help that they were moving back to another dinky, rundown, house with the added bonus of having to house their uncle Roger. With Roger, there was no true form of tolerating him; when he was sober, he was a creep that attempted to flirt with any female in sight and, when drunk, would lay around like a rock. The only excuse the old kook had was that he was pushing 80 and wanted to enjoy the twilight years of his life.

"Hey Danny," Snapped Ella while using the review mirror to look in the back at her sibling. "Remember, Tony, Sydney, Rodney, and Kevin are coming tomorrow at 3:00 pm when your school lets out with all our things. I'll need you home by then to help with the unpacking and keeping an eye on Janet. I know Irma is going to want to take you to all sorts of places in Heatherfield, but I need you home ASAP. Got it?"

"Yes, Ella." Replied Danny while packing away her Walkman. Now her hair was even shorter than before and was now sporting a pixie-cut, which gave her even more of a boyish look than she already had. "Is there anything you want me to pick up on my way home?"

"Are you deaf? I said come home right away." Replied Ella, her annoyance and fatigue sounding in her voice and her amber-brown eyes looking like she wants to throw everyone out of the bus.

"Oh, common Ella." Mike sounded from the back of the bus. Mike was a tall, blond, man, built like a brick shed, and friendly to the point of appearing slow. "We ain't got any food at the house. Danny can pick-up a few things." He was keeping Katja on his lap and was petting the old bobcat as though it were a kitten.

"She can pick me up a few cigars." Added Roger, finally waking up from another hangover.

"And Jack and I want some ice-pops!" shouted Gwen from her seat behind Danny.

"We ain't got the cash for cigars, it is too cold for ice-pops, and we got bread and milk in the cold-box. We will be fine until Tony and the others get to us tomorrow. With the house we got, we are gonna need all the hands we can get." Replied Ella through grinding teeth. This happened all the time; she would make plans, one of her siblings would make a suggestion, and then she would have to play the role of the party pooper because they couldn't do it.

"Guys, Ella is right. We will survive until tomorrow evening and we will have a lot of work ahead of us. Plus, I don't remember where all the stores are, so I doubt I would be able to find anything decent by the time our brothers arrive. I just wanted to have something to say." Replied Danny and slouched deeper into her seat. She knew what can of worms she had opened and regretted it.

After another five hours in Heatherfield winter traffic, the small family finally reached their new home. To say Danny was crushed at the sight of the dinky rowhouse would have been an understatement. They lived in the area for lower-income families, the front of the house was overgrown by vines, the roof looked like it was leaky, the wooden floor of the front porch was splitting, and the pain of the front door was chipping. Even the porch swing looked like it was giving up on life. The inside of the building wasn't much better. The carpet floor was worn thin in some areas, use to be an off-white but now looked yellow. The wood paneling sported a thick layer of dust, smoking grime, and smelled as though someone once pissed on the wall. The kitchen, which was open to the living room and entryway, was covered in dust and grease; a short investigation into the refrigerator revealed that a mouse had died in it. The bathroom was in an equal state of disgustingness. The mirror to the medicine cabinet was cracked, the floor was greasy, the bathtub was caked in lime, the toilet sported a mysterious black rim just above the water line, the sink was rusty, and of the three lightbulbs above the sink, only one worked. This was more than just a 'fixer-upper', this was Satan's dumpster on Earth. At least the heater was working.

Still, this was going to be their new home, so might as well make the best of it.

Besides, thought Danny. We have had worse.

At the sight of the place, no one wanted anything from the cold-box except Roger, who helped himself to a can of soda and a few slices of bread. Then again, he survived both World War II and the Vietnam War, so he could stomach anything life had to throw. For a bed, Mike blew-up three large air mattresses in one of the rooms that would soon become a bedroom. Janet, like Roger, didn't seem to mind the state of the place, as she immediately sought out a dim corner and lay down on the dirty carpet like a dog in the hot sun. Katja chose the cleanest place in the house, which was the lime caked bathtub, to sleep in. Meanwhile, the six humans of the house shared the air mattresses and used old army field blankets to cover-up.

For a long while, Danny lay awake staring at the ceiling; she was trying to ignore Roger's smoke and alcohol reek, Ella's chainsaw-like snoring, and trying to figure out if the water stain on the ceiling resembled the country of Germany or Albert Einstein in side profile. Then Roger turned onto his side and flung his arm over Danny while his wrinkly hand fell on Ella's melon-sized breast. Did Danny want to scream and burn the entire place down? Yes. Did she want to use her spear on her bracelet and impale her great grandmother's brother? Yup, but the family needed his military retirement checks. Was she excited about tomorrow and seeing her new school? That was the only thing keeping her sane at the moment. At some time, probably around 2:00 am, Danny finally managed to drift to sleep despite Roger's smoky beer burps.

XXXXX

Morning came all too soon, furthermore, Danny had to wake up at 4:00 am since Ella had to run to the local Home Depot for paint and Mike had to start cleaning the place. Roger wasn't going to do anything but smoke on the front porch while keeping an eye on Jack. It was Danny's job to wake up her little sister Gwen and get them both ready for their first day at school. Despite still feeling disgusted about the house and sleeping arrangements, Danny forced town two slices of bread and a grew gulps of milk from the gallon jug from the cold-box. Gwen, like any young child, took ages to wake up and get dressed, despite only wearing dresses. Even in the cold, Heatherfield winter, Gwendolyn Downing always wore dresses. Danny, on the other hand, threw on whatever she could get her hands on before rushing out into the cold with her sister.

As the two Downing siblings walked down the dark, cold, and wet Heatherfield streets Danny tried to remember as much as she could about her childhood home, but a lot of places have changed; it was to the point Danny wasn't sure if this was still the same Heatherfield.

"That place use to sell the best strawberry ice-cream." Said Danny, pointing to a scented candle store. "You used to really like it, even if you only ever gummed the cone to death."

"Danny, all this was years ago." Replied Gwen, readjusting the straps of her pink, flower power, backpack. "Besides, I don't even like strawberry ice-cream."

"Geeze, you are acting like a crab today." Danny pointed out the sting in Gwen's young voice. "I was sure you slept just fine."

"Jack breathed his milk breath on me all night and I feel like my face is caked in grime. I hate that house and I hate that we moved here. Why couldn't we stay in Canada?" asked the 10-year old with her arms crossed and her blond hair seemed to dull with her mood.

"Hey, this wasn't my choice." Started Danny, knowing no amount of humor would lighten her sister's mood. "If it were my choice, we would be in Hawaii right now, sipping drinks from coconuts, decorated with tiny umbrellas. But, we have a job to do and, if Sydney is right, there are five Skin-Crawlers located here in Heatherfield."

"I hate those nasty things too. Why do we have to keep an eye on those things anyway?"

"I don't know Little Sparky, but we do. If you don't want to deal with those things, I can understand. Ella wants to keep you and Jack as far from the family business as possible…"

"Then why can't I stay with Tony?"

"Look, I don't make the rules in this family and if you keep this attitude up, you can sleep next to Roger tonight and endure his beer breath."

"Eww!" Shrieked the 10-year old. "That is even worse!"

This continued until the two saw the Sheffield Institute where Gwen became quiet. Despite loving her sister, she didn't want to be associated with her on their first day at the new school because of Danny's atrocious fashion sense. While Gwen wore a pink and white flower print sundress with brown boots, a wide brown belt, and a fitting brown jacket. Danny, on the other hand, wore her worn combat boots, Roger's old camouflage army pants, a neon-purple plaid button down shirt with silver tubing on the seams, and her old leather jacket. How they could be related, Gwen could never figure out. In the courtyard of the school, a group of four girls was waiting as if expecting them; Gwen recognized one of them from a family photo as her cousin Irma, but she had no idea who the rest were.

"HEY DANNY!" Cheered Irma and waved at her cousin. Immediately, Danny grabbed Gwen's arm and dragged her up to her friends Irma, Taranee, Hay-Lyn, and…Will? Danny couldn't understand why Will was there; wasn't she 18? She remembered what Irma had told her in the woods and had, to some extent, accepted that her cousin could do trick with water, but she was sure no 15-year old could marry. Surely her cousin had exaggerated on that part.

"Hey, folks. Irms, I hope you remember this little pipsqueak here." Replied Danny, trying to keep from staring at Will too long and gestured to her little sister Gwen. Gwen felt like crawling into a hole and hiding; now everyone knew this death to fashion was related to her.

"Of course, I would remember your little sister Gwendolyn." Replied Irma and bent down to be more at eye-level with the 10-year old. "How have you been?"

"Fine. Can I leave now?" Gwen asked while trying to wrestle free from her sister's grasp.

"Aw, come on now Gwenny. I wanted to spend our first day at Sheffield together." Replied Danny and wrapped her arms around her little sister like a boa constrictor. "I want everyone to know just how much my little sister means to me."

"Gross!" yelled Gwen, finally managing to pull herself free from her sister's grasp and ran off, hoping her reputation was still salvageable.

"She is still as cute as a button." Said Irma before wrapping her cousin in a crushing bearhug. "It is so good to see you. But, what about your training?"

"Great to see you too Irms…" squeak Danny, sure that her ribs were now bruised. "Ella is going to train me, and I can't stay after school. Tony and the rest are coming and are helping us move in; the place we moved into is a real mess."

"Aww, but I wanted to show you all sorts of places after school." Irma pouted, but Will was there to save the day.

"Then save a day this weekend so we can all hang out." Danny agreed to Will's plan and soon, the small group was chatting and laughing as though they had been friends for years. However, their reunion wasn't going unnoticed.

From the entrance of the school, Matt stood and watched his former girlfriend talk and laugh with her friends when a strange boy approached the group with a little girl in tow. From what he could see, Irma recognized the boy and they appeared close, but the little girl couldn't help but get away from, what he guessed, was her older brother. Furthermore, and this surprised him, Will seemed to know this boy as well. This made him wonder who many other boys his ex knew. From what he could remember about their days together, Will was a tomboy but wasn't around a lot of boys. Matt couldn't remember this boy either, so she must have met him after their break-up. Why would Phobos allow his wife to interact with other boys?

Back outside, Danny sense eyes on her and followed the sensation until her mismatched eyes met a set of blue ones. When their eyes met, Matt retreated away from the door's windows and into the hallway. Danny only furrowed her brow; why was that boy looking at her? It was probably because of the outfit; which Irma was quick to comment on.

"What are your wearing and what did you do with your hair? You look like a boy! How are you going to get a boyfriend looking like this?"

"What makes you think I am looking for a boyfriend?"

"Girlfriend then?" asked Irma, unsure of what to do with Danny's response.

"Nope, just here to train and go to school. The most I'll do outside of that is hang with you folks and get a job." Replied Danny, much to Irma's dismay.

"There is a job opening at the local pet shop." Said Will before Irma could start an argument with her cousin.

"Will, are you sure about that. I mean Matt is still really salty about you and Phobos getting together." Asked Hay-Lyn a little worried about the whole situation regarding Matt.

"I have problems with Matt, not Matt's grandfather. That old man could really use an extra hand and the pay is decent." Replied Will and Danny smiled at the talk of pay.

"Great, a job application lined up and I didn't get crapped on by a bird. This day is great so far." Replied Danny and, with that matter settled, the girls went inside the school building. Inside, they were immediately greeted by the Vice-Principal Mrs. Knickerbocker. In her high pitched, snobby voice, she addressed her new student.

"Morning Ms. Downing. I am glad to see that you are on time for your first day." She then hands Danny a sheet of paper with her schedule printed on it. "These are your classes and please be on time. Do you need someone to escort you to your classes?"

"It is alright. I got my cousin and my friends to help me out. Besides, you know I use to attend this place, it couldn't have changed that much since I left." Replied Danny and Mrs. Knickerbocker nodded in response before huffing off to do her job. Danny leaned closer to the nearest friend, which was Taranee, and asked in a hushed tone. "Was that human-peacock that we just encountered really Mrs. Knickerbocker?"

"In the flesh." Replied Taranee and Danny shivered remembering all the times she was in detention with Mrs. Knickerbocker supervising her. At the very least the old woman changed perfumes. From there, the day went by relatively normal for Danny, with the exception of sharing some classes with Will, which perplexed her. She had been trying to tell herself that Will was really 18 and probably served as a teacher's aide, but that began to dwindle when she saw her in both History and Biology. Will noticed Danny's staring and hoped to come up with a good explanation for her presence at school. Sure, she couldn't keep the truth from Irma's cousin forever, but she could keep the charades going for a while.

By the time lunch role around, Danny didn't care about Will or what her cousin had confessed to her back in the woods; she was starving. Sure, the slices of bread and milk had kept her satiated for a while, but they didn't last forever, and she hadn't had the chance to pack any lunch. The lunch at the Sheffield Institute hadn't improved in quality since she last attended. She was sure the thing on the plate in front of her was supposed to be meatloaf, but it jiggled too much for that to be the case and it smelled strange; like bread mixed with old butter.

"This thing looks suspicious." Muttered Danny, poking at the food in front of her. Even if she was starving, there was no way she would let this stuff into her body.

"Well, I planned on taking you somewhere special." Said Irma with a mischievous grin. Taranee, seemingly knowing what Irma had planned whispered.

"You are not planning on taking her to the Inbetween, are you?"

"It is cool, she knows about us. I told her back at the cabin." Replied Irma, which earned her a collective gasp from the rest of the group.

"You did what?" hissed Hay-Lyn, unsure if Danny could be trusted enough with their secret.

"I told her about us and our power and Will. She is my cousin and she understood everything. She is cool with it. Besides, the food here is going to make anyone sick, so why not take her to the Inbetween to get something decent."

"Do you think it is alright to barge into Diana's home just to feed your cousin?" asked Will, equally shocked and a little angered at what Irma had done. It took her ages to come out to Matt about the W.I.T.C.H. so it felt a little wrong that Irma just blew out their secret to the rest of the world.

"What is the Inbetween?" asked Danny, only having heard half of the conversation.

"It is only the best place in existence." Replied Irma, knowing how to spin the situation to her favor.

"It is a great place, but we can't just walk in on our friends Diana and Henry. Furthermore, Sophia is a bit dangerous to be around." Replied Taranee, trying to come up with good excuses to keep Danny away from more of their secrets until the time felt right. However, Irma would have none of that; she was going to force this to happen.

"Taranee, you are overacting." Replied Irma before turning her attention back to Danny. "Sophia likes to mess with food and drink that she hands to people, so just don't accept anything she offers you and you should be fine." With that, and despite the objections of her friends, Irma grabbed Danny by the arm and began to drag her towards the exit of the school. Danny only let Irma drag her around; she had been through stranger things before. Besides, anything would be better than Sheffield food.

Danny was surprised that, instead of leaving school grounds, that Irma was leading her to the back of the school. How could there be food back here? Was there a student-run food cart that she didn't know about? Nope, Irma was heading for a brick wall. Stopping just in front of the hidden portal, Irma stopped and smiled at Danny while the other caught up. "Danny, close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you." Danny did this without questioning; this was probably a secret club that Mrs. Knickerbocker wasn't supposed to find out about. Irma glance at her friends, who shook their heads in protest, and then stepped through the portal, dragging Danny with her. When she and the rest of her friends reached the front door of the Inbetween, Irma nudged her cousin. "Alright Danny, open your eyes."

Danny did so and was surprised to find a pretty wooden door with a stain-glass window in it in front of her. Her spider scenes were tingling, and she was beginning to believe everything Irma had told her at face-value. She could feel her sanity crumble. There was no way that, with a single step, that they could have gone far from the school. Grabbing her cousin by the arm, she managed to smile at the others. "Hey, I ain't got a clue where we are, so I'll let you guys go ahead. I need to speak a word with my beloved cousin."

"Danny are you alright?" asked Will, she could see the panic on her friend's face.

"Yup, I just need to talk with Irms before I enter Alice's Wonderland." Replied Danny, lightly shaking Irma's arm. Inwardly, she was wondering what insanity that girl had dragged her into. Will, Taranee, and Hay-Lyn understood and knocked on the door. As always, they were immediately let in by Diana who, because of where Irma and Danny stood on the porch, didn't see the extra guests. Once Danny and Irma were alone, she laid in on her.

"Irma, where the Hell are we?"

"I told you where we are going." Replied Irma, a little confused why her cousin was acting so strange.

"You said we were going to the 'best place in existence' and then led me to the back of the school. THIS IS NOT THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL! What Houdini trick did you pull?" Danny asked, frantically looking around in the hopes they were still on school grounds; surely with was a prank that the drama-club was in on. That hope dwindled away when she saw the void just beyond the porch banister. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE?"

"Danny," Irma started in a calm voice, catching on to her cousin's confusion. "Everything I told you back in the woods is true." At this, Danny froze and simply stared at Irma; surely she was dreaming.

"I have been trying to tell myself that I was on drugs or that you pulled an optical illusion on me. There is no way that everything you told me is true…" that is when she put the pieces together. The lights she saw in the woods during the crawler attack, the stuff with the water that Irma showed her, the presence of Will at school, the fact that they were in the middle of nowhere right now. It was all true. At the realization that all this insanity was true, her mind could only come up with one word. "No."

"Yup." Was Irma's reply. "It was all true."

Danny had to rest against the porch banister for support; her knees felt like they were made of the same meatloaf substance that the school was trying to serve her as food. Mentally, she went to blue-screen, then reboot, then anger. "ALL THIS SHIT IS REAL?"

"I don't know how often you want me to say yes to that?"

"Even that part about Will and that eyebrows guy?" panic edged her voice at the thought of having housed a pedophile.

"Yeah, but they are the epidemy of the 1920s. Separate rooms and everything." Replied Irma, knowing what Danny was thinking and hoping the explanation would calm her. Danny had a very dim view of pedophilia and would not accept any form of it even if it was allowed by other cultures from other worlds. Phobos nearly died twice in one year; Danny would make sure he didn't survive a third attempt.

"Bullshit to that!" snapped Danny. "You honestly think married folk don't frick-frack?" she then sat on the banister, feeling her knees completely give-up on her. "And you risked your life fighting that creep! How can you be so chill about all this?" she asked swinging her arms wide to take in the entire Inbetween and the whole situation they were in.

"Will said there is nothing going on, so there is nothing going on." Replied Irma, crossing her arms; she was becoming fed-up with her cousin's attitude. "Besides, your family risks its' life researching monsters. So, you are one to argue."

Danny gave-up. Irma was right. What leg did she have to stand on in this argument? There is no shred of normal left in her life; there never has been and that realization hit Danny like a tone of bricks. Winded, Danny sighed and swung her arms out wide in a dramatic, sweeping motion and tossed back her head. "This is it! I surrender to the insanity!"

It was this combination of movements that caused Danny to lose her balance on the porch banister. She realized too late that she was falling backward and tried to catch herself. Irma tried to reach out for her cousin, but she too was too late. Without anything to catch her, Danny fell backward into the pitch-black void.


	5. Chapter 5

For a moment, Irma stood frozen in place unable to do anything but watch as Danny's form faded from view. What could she do? She wasn't in guardian form and even if she was, she didn't know if she could fly in this void. Will. She had to get Will and the others; maybe even Diana. Surely they would know what to do. With desperate gasps, Irma willed her legs to work and she rushed through the door of the Inbetween. There, in the entry hall, the first person Irma came across was Sophia, who was on her way to the kitchen. "Sophia, please help. Danny fell off the banister!"

"So?"

Irma had to blink at Sophia's casual response. What did she mean with 'so'?

"What is that supposed to mean? We need to get help. We need to save Danny!" To Irma, this felt like a bad dream that she had to awaken from. All she wanted was to involve her cousin in her life; now Danny was falling in a seemingly endless abyss and here her savior was, simply standing there like it was any other ordinary day.

"Just catch her when she falls by again." Replied Sophia, shifting the clay pot she had been carrying to her hip. "Unless you want her to orbit the place a few times before pulling her back in."

"What?" Irma still didn't understand what Sophia was talking about or how she could be so casual about everything.

"Haven't you been paying attention to where you are? The only thing that exists in this place is this house. There is nowhere for this Danny character to fall but around the Inbetween. There is no gravity outside of this place, so your friend will be fine." Replied Sophia and giving Irma a questioning look that was similar to a mother asking their child what crazy antics they had planned. Having overheard Irma's cries for help, Will, Diana, and the others came rushing from the kitchen; all wearing a shocked expression. Clearly, no one had expected to hear shouting.

"What is going on? Who is hurt?" asked Taranee, almost running into Will as she rushes out of the kitchen.

"Nothing to worry about." Answered Sophia before Irma could even open her mouth. "One of your friends fell off the front porch and is currently orbiting the house."

"Oh, I was wondering what that sound was." Sighed Diana. She had heard something outside the Kitchen walls but wasn't sure if it was regular house sounds or something else.

"Danny is what?" Will shrieked, realizing Danny's absence. She had a notion that something would happen if they brought Danny into the Inbetween before the time was right. She wished she had put up more of a resistance.

"Your friend fell off the front porch and is orbiting the house." Repeated Sophia, starting to feel annoyed that she had to repeat herself. "Look, I'll fix it right now if it makes everyone calm down?" At first, none of the W.I.T.H. girls understood what Sophia meant; how were they going to stop Danny from orbiting the house? Instead of explaining her plan of action, Sophia handed the pot to Diana to hold and went out of the front door; closely followed by the remnants of the W.I.T.C.H. gang. Diana only returned to the kitchen with the clay pot. As Sophia expected, the moment everyone was gathered on the porch, they heard screams coming closer and closer, like the sound of a train approaching; then, Danny fell by as if falling from the roof before vanishing into the darkness again, taking the sound of her screams with her.

"Oh my God, do something!" Yelped Will and rushed to the banister, unsure of what to do; like Irma, Will wasn't sure about the physics of this place and didn't know if it was possible to fly after her. Sophia casually approached the banister and waited with her arms crossed. In the back, Irma was panicking and Hay-Lyn was clinging to Taranee's arm like a kitten holding onto a tree. Even with all the girls panicking and worrying, Sophia remained calm and collected, she was awaiting the right time.

After falling from the banisher, Danny couldn't tell what was happening. She was sure that she was falling; at least, she felt like she was falling, but when she opened her eyes, the image she was seeing didn't sync with the sensation her body was experiencing. She felt like she was falling, but all her eyes saw was the house spinning on its' horizontal axis in front of her. Her sight changed from the porch to the flat bottom, to the south side of the house where she saw a balcony, followed by the roof, and back to the porch. She was no longer screaming because she feared for her life; Danny feared for the remnants of her sanity. How could one fall up a house? She had to close her eyes, surely all of this was a dream. Positively, she was still at home and was suffering some form of brain damage from Roger's alcohol breath and everything that has happened so far would go away the moment she opened her eyes. As she was screaming with her eyes closed, waiting to wake up. She felt firm hands grip her wrists and stop her orbiting. Immediately, Danny snapped open her eyes and her mismatched blue-green eyes met a pair of avocado green.

Sophia offered Danny a gentle smile while she simply stared back with an awed expression and gave Will a sideways glance. "I told you I'll fix it." She then set Danny onto the porch with ease; as if Danny weighted no more than a feather. Immediately, Irma raced to Danny and wrapped her arms around her very rattled cousin. Danny didn't say a word, but only stared at the gorgeous woman that had saved her; wondering how she was able to catch her so easily. Judging by everything that had happened, she could guess that this woman wasn't a normal human. Before anyone could thank Sophia, she sauntered back through the front door, her job was done and now she could return to her work.

"Oh God, Danny I am so sorry!" was one of many apologies Irma managed to get out between relieved sobs. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt! Are you alright?" Danny simply stared into space; her mind still couldn't comprehend everything that had happened in less than half an hour.

"Guys," Taranee pipped in, "I think Danny is in shock. Maybe it is better if we take her inside to calm down." Everyone agreed with this suggestion and, gently, ushered Danny through the open door, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. There they came across Diana scolding Sophia over the matter of the pot and Henry sitting at the table reading a newspaper. He was wearing his eyepatch. Quietly and gently, the girls settled Danny down at the table and took their respective seats while Diana was having a fit. The kitchen smelled of tomato sauce, garlic, spices, and fried meat; Diana was cooking pasta.

"Why can't you use the sink in your room?" Asked Diana, gesturing to the large pot in the kitchen sink, slowly filling with cold water.

"I am growing some rare algae strands in my sink for a skin-care product I have been commissioned to do. I'll have it made by the end of the month, so don't worry about it."

"You could have used a fish-tank for that, I need my sink so I can cook dinner!" replied Diana and then turned the water faucet on high. Sophia quickly turned the water down again once Diana's hand was off the handle. This made Diana even more furious. "Hurry up and get the water you need. I need to use the sink to drain the pasta!"

"I need this clay-pot to slowly cool. If it cools down too fast, it will break. I can't make my skin tinctures with a broken pot." Countered Sophia as if explaining a difficult math equation to a dull student. Other than her dress and her highlights, which were now green, nothing had changed about their potion brewing friend. Diana still crossed her arms at Sophia's excuse and Sophia, who fancied Diana's cooking, finally relented. Rolling her eyes and pulling her half-filled pot to her hip, she replied. "Fine, I'll use the bathroom sink instead." With that, she walked off only offering the group another one of her gentle grins before leaving the room.

"Don't forget, we have dinner in a few minutes!" Diana called after her, which caught Danny off guard, wasn't it way too early for dinner? Reading Danny's confused expression, Hay-Lyn smiled and gently patted her friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it; time works differently here in the Inbetween. We will be back before lunch break is over." Danny only blinked at Hay-Lyn and accepted what she was told. She had just played moon to a house that sat in nothing, so the idea that time flowed differently here didn't seem too out of the ordinary. Shortly after leaving, Sophia returned and took her seat at the table.

"So, how is married life treating you?" Sophia asked Will since she hadn't seen the guardian since the wedding. "The effects of Sgaoileadh are virtually unknown since most subjects expire within a short timeframe of being exposed." She was genuinely curious about how Will had been doing; she could smell that there was something different about him. She carried his scent on her, but she had been since Diana dragged the bloodied prince into the Inbetween; this was different. Where she once smelled of coffee, linen, and wild iris; she now carried a scent similar to milk mixed with vanilla sugar. Something about her little friend had changed and she wanted to know what it was and how it could be of use to her.

"He has been doing alright as long as I am near him, but we hardly see each other until the end of the day. He hasn't been complaining about much pain and he appears to be perfectly healthy." Replied Will; she still felt raw about Sophia willingly providing poisons, but it was her business and Will had no right to complain about how Sophia made her living.

"That is nice to hear and has he been treating you well too?"

Umm, great I guess." Replied Will, still a little uneasy on how to answer Sophia's question without revealing her secret. Furthermore, she was uncomfortable answering these questions with Danny around, since the young girl just discovered their secret and Will's true age. "He is nice and gives me anything I could ask for. He can be as stubborn as an ox sometimes and he is the worst workaholic I'll ever know. So, I guess I have nothing to complain about." None of that information was useful to Sophia; she had her suspicions on what was different about Will but needed proof. Still, she couldn't simply ask if her suspicions were right; so, with a content smile, she replied with.

"That is good to hear." Sophia knew that all she had to do was wait and wait she would.

That was when Danny saw it; she had been too distracted by Sophia's avocado-green eyes to notice them, but her teeth were razor sharp. She had seen enough movies and read enough books, mostly comics, to recognize to what creature they belonged to. With wide eyes and a shaking hand, she points at the potion-brewer and stammers, "V-v-vampire…"

At first, the group didn't understand what their friend meant by that. Sophia, a vampire? Surely she wasn't. Will had seen her out in the bright sunlight and it didn't appear to both Sophia in the slightest. Then again, Will also remembered how Diana mentioned that Sophia wasn't human either. Leaning on elbows, Sophia widened her smile at the frazzled group.

"Finally, someone catches on."

"Wait," said Hay-Lyn, a little stunned to think clearly. "Sophia…you are a blood-sucking vampire?" the thought of having been in the same room as something that could see the condense of her veins as breakfast worried her. It worried everyone.

"Don't worry." Replied Diana and began straining the pasta for dinner. "She is only half vampire. She isn't going to chase after your blood."

"Well, in all technicality, I am a quarter vampire. My father was the half-bred; I am the mutt of the family." Sophia corrected and Diana only shrugged her shoulder.

"Whatever, the biggest difference between half and full is that you are not immortal." Diana then smiled over her shoulder at the group to reassure them and noticed how Henry was still wearing his eyepatch; he was so absorbed into his paper that he didn't even notice that they had guests. Roughly and loudly, Diana cleared her throat to catcher her husband's attention; like a charm it worked, as he quickly folded his paper and turned to face her.

"Yes, my dear?" she asked with a jolly smile that caused his mustache to giggle.

"We have guests." It was only after Diana pointed out the obvious that Henry noticed their friends. Knowing he had to go and put in his glass eye, he offered them a welcoming smile and quickly rushed off. "I am sorry about Henry; he tends to forget where he is when he is looking at his stock investments. I have been trying to fix this, but it is still a learning process."

"You are married too?" asked Danny as her nerves finally started to relax and allow her to string full sentences together. "How old are you?"

"First, it is very rude to ask your hostess for their age. Second, I am going to turn 15 in two weeks; don't wish me a happy birthday until it is my birthday, otherwise, it brings bad luck." Replied Diana as she returned her attention to her cooking. "Anyway, I thought you guys were going to return this evening. Isn't is still during school hours?"

"Sorry for barging in like this, but- "before Taranee could explain, Irma did it for her.

"It was my idea. I wanted to show this place to Danny, and I thought you wouldn't mind-"

"Oh, we don't mind" interrupted Henry as he reentered the kitchen, his glass eye staring straight ahead, giving him the appearance of having a lazy eye. "My Diana always makes enough to feed an army."

"It isn't about the amount of food, but the number of dishes I have to set on the table. Now make yourself useful and set the table." Interjected Diana and Henry, like a trained soldier, walked to the cabinets holding the dishes.

"Aren't we supposed to help?" asked Danny, she wasn't used to having someone taking full charge in the kitchen. Looking at her friends, she was further surprised to see them shaking their heads. Diana turned her head with an annoyed glare in her eyes as if she were contemplating throwing the steaming noodles at Danny's head.

"Don't you dare. You are a guest." The tone in her voice killing any objections buzzing in Danny's head. Before many more conversations could arise, a steaming plate of pasta was set in front of her with a healthy topping of sauce. "Please, enjoy."

Sure, Thought Danny. One girl is married to an adult king, the other is married to a man obsessed with the stock market, my cousin has magic powers, I orbited a house, up is down, and vampires are real. This is the new normal now.

XXXXX

Back at the Sheffield Institute, Gwendolyn Pepper Downing entered her first class of the day, Accounting, with the confidence of an expert. Luckily, not a lot of people have seen her sister's antics that morning, so her reputation was still on gold standings. In the past, despite her high intelligence and incredible fashion taste, it was her sister's actions that had caused her a lot of embarrassment in the past. However, none of that mattered now. Here, no one knew who she was; all they knew was that she was a pretty and intelligent girl.

Stepping through the doors, she was surprised to find that she wasn't the first in class. Sitting in the first row with her head bent over her notes. She was blond, well dressed, and a hard studier; clearly perfect first friend to make. Still dripping with confidence, she strode up to the girl and stood in front of her with a perfect girl-scout smile. The girl, sensing someone is trying to catch her attention, hesitantly looked up. "Umm…Hello?"

"Morning. I am Gwendolyn Pepper Downing: new student and future Accountant to the President. Is the seat beside you taken?"

"Umm…no. It is first come, first serve in Mr. Todd's Accounting…Aren't you a little young to be here?"

"I am a child prodigy." Answered Gwen and sat down beside her new best friend. "So, what is your name?"

"Umm…Elyon." Replied Elyon, her mind was still trying to switch from studying to conversation mode; she hadn't even heard Gwen enter the room. However, the name Downing rang a bell and she remembered that it was Danny's first day at the Sheffield Institute. "Wait, your last name is Downing?"

"That is right my dear and don't you forget it."

"Is your sister Daniella Henrietta Downing?" Gwen's frozen expression of shock answered her question. "My friends, brother, and I were at your great grandmother's cabin during the break. It was quite an adventure."

"Good that you had fun." Was all that Gwen managed to choke out. Of every student in this school, she had to sit beside one that knows who her sibling was; her only hope was that Elyon didn't know about her family's secret. Other than that hiccup, the day passed by normally and Gwen warmed up to Elyon despite the young girl knowing of Danny's existence. Soon, the girls became closer as they discovered more and more things they had in common; by the time lunch rolled around, Gwen and Elyon felt as though they had known each other for years and they chose to sit together.

"So, how many siblings do you exactly have? I doubt it is 8 like Danny said." Asked Elyon as she offered Gwen half of her BP&J sandwich, which Gwen gladly took as the Sheffield food looked inedible to human consumption.

"Nope, including me, there are 8 in our family." Replied Gwen and took a big bite of the sandwich. "Tony is the oldest and he is busy all the time, so I don't get to see him much. In fact, I don't get to see my older brothers much at all. They are busy all over the country and I am stuck with my 2 older sisters and my baby brother…and my uncle Roger; he is Sheela's brother. I wish I could see my brothers more often; there is always something fun going on with them around."

"I know that feeling." Said Elyon with a heavy sigh. "I have an older brother as well, but I don't get to see him much."

"Why, is he busy like mine?"

"Kinda," replied Elyon and lightly picked at her cup of diced peaches. She wanted someone to talk to about this; someone who didn't know about her situation. Just to get it off of her chest. "We grew-up separately when our parents died, and we live out separate lives. However, I still wished I knew more about him. I always wanted an older sibling in my life; I have one, but he doesn't act like one. For crying-out-loud, he is in a relationship with my best friend and I still know as much about him as I do about the stranger that lives down the street!"

"Eh, you might wanna be careful what you wish for. I love my siblings but wish I grew up with the luxuries of a single child. Besides, he has his own life and a girlfriend, he probably doesn't have the time to spend with a kid." Replied Gwen as she finished her half of the sandwich.

"You might have a point, but I still wished I knew more about him. I don't even know his favorite color or if he prefers tea or coffee. At the very least, I want to know what type of music he listens to."

"Then why don't you harness your inner little-sister powers and bother the heck out of him whenever you 2 are together? Use every dirty trick in the book, stoop down to puppy-eyes if you have to." Replied Gwen since she had 4 older brothers, she knew every trick to get her way.

"I'll keep that in mind next time I see him." Replied Elyon and another idea popped into her head. "Gwen, if you want, I can show you around town after school. I know Heatherfield like the back of my hand."

"Sorry Elyon, but I have to return home right after school. My brothers are bringing our things and I don't trust them with my things. I love them, but they are true morons."


	6. Chapter 6

Elyon was a little crushed that she couldn't spend more time with her new friend, but accepted it, since they shared most of their school day. However, the two classes they didn't share made Elyon feel nervous since those were the classes she shared with Arty. Arty was a student that had joined the previous Spring and had, the moment he arrived, immediately attached himself to Elyon. Usually, Elyon didn't mind this and was always willing to help a new student, but Arty was another story. From the moment Elyon met that boy, all he did was follow her like a lost puppy, try to include her in odd conversations, and try to touch her whenever possible. It would be romantic, in a dorky way, if Arty went about it charmingly. However, instead of being charmingly awkward, Arty was creepy. Instead of averting eye contact whenever caught staring; he would keep staring at her from afar and add labored breathing. Instead of taking hints that she was uncomfortable, he would lean in closer and breath down her neck. Lastly, Arty reeked. His hair was oily and clung together, his face was covered in pus-filled pimples, his teeth were hairy and nearly green, and his breath smelled of onions and dog crap left out in the sun in a black bag.

She only shared two classes with him, but each day she dreaded these classes and wished she had the nerve to tell a teacher. However, she didn't know what to say to the teachers about Arty. The boy had never hurt her. Would telling a teacher that he made her uncomfortable enough to make them talk to him? Elyon doubted it.

Just as she sat down in Geometry, Arty walked up from his seat near the back of the class and planted himself beside her; giving her one of his green, onion smiles scented smiles. "Hello Elyon, I saw you talk to the new student today. What is her name?"

"Oh…hello Arty." Replied Elyon, trying to inhale his reek. "Her name is Gwendoline. She just moved here."

"That is great to hear." He leaned in creepily close. "Would you and the fair Gwendoline be interested in joining me in a round of Dungeon Crawler at my house?"

"No thank you, Arty. I have homework to do." Replied Elyon, leaning back in her chair to make some space between them.

"Oh, come on m'lady, I promise you and Gwen will still have a lot of time for that nonsense adults call education." He leaned even closer. At this point, Elyon was trapped between Arty and the crossbar connecting the back of her chair to her desk. It was times like this that Elyon wished she had an older sibling that kept an eye on her and taught her how to defend herself. All she had been taught in her life was to discuss her problems with her wrongdoers; she had no elbows with which to fight back. She was sure that if she had been brought up with an older sibling, they would have taught her how to scare creeps like Arty away. Or, perhaps, scare Arty away for her.

Luckily, before Elyon had to wreck her brain to come up with another excuse why she couldn't come to Arty's house, the student that sat in the seat currently occupied by Arty appeared and tapped the guy on the shoulder. "Hey Arthur, you are sitting in my seat."

Arty took one, quick, look over his shoulder at the tall, lanky, dark-haired student and bolted out of the seat as though chased by lightning; leaving only a faint smell of old sweat and onions behind. The black-haired boy gave the seat a moment to air out before taking his seat beside Elyon, who slowly started to relax once Arty was back at the other side of the room. With a funny smirk and a chuckle, the boy turned to the blond-haired princess. "So Elyon, Arty giving you problems again?"

"I'm fine, I just wished he would brush his teeth." Replied Elyon with her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Along with not knowing how to defend herself with fists, Elyon had no idea how to talk to boys. Often she wondered if the boys talking to her were flirting or if they were simply being friendly. She wondered if she could get advice from Will, since the red-head was happily married, but then remembered that her brother was forced into this relationship, so going to Will might not reveal the wished results.

She had thought about asking her mother, but they had become awkward since she discovered that they weren't her true parents. Whenever they asked her anything, they spoke as though they were walking on eggshells. Furthermore, they had become overly protective of her. She understood that they loved her and only wanted her safety; especially since the time, her brother kept her prisoner in Meridian. However, at this point, with her brother being married to Will, their paranoia was beginning to become more bothersome than useful. It was nearly impossible to convince them to allow her to visit Danny's cabin in Canada; Elyon had to resort to lying to her parents about her brother not attending so they would let her go. They still don't know that Phobos was there at the cabin, nor that she had gotten injured.

"If he ever does, we know it is the end of the world." Replied the boy with a smile that made Elyon's heart race a little faster. All she knew about him was that his name was James and that he was a year older than her.

Elyon could only reply with a laugh, "I think I'd prefer the end of the world over another moment of Arty's onion breath."

XXXXX

After a plate of the best pasta Danny ever had, she was being treated to a civil conversation and tea. It was clear to Danny that this place was normal to her cousin and friends, but she still couldn't get over the fact that just inches under her feet, there was absolutely nothing while a partial bloodsucker was sharing the table with her. After what felt like hours, the girls said their thank-you' and goodbyes before leaving the Inbetween; reemerging behind the school. Danny was amazed to see that it was still daylight outside, as she knew they had been gone for hours. Taking a quick look at her watch, Danny was amazed to find that only five minutes had passed since they left the cafeteria.

"Can any of you explain this witchcraft to me?" asked Danny, pointing down at her mickey mouse wristwatch.

"I think that is Mickey Mouse." Replied Irma, which earned her a chuckle from the other three girls.

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny Irma. I mean why isn't it night yet? We have been in there for hours."

"Didn't you listen earlier?" asked Hay-Lyn, catching her breath. "Time works differently in the Inbetween. You could spend years in the Inbetween and actually only spend a few days in there."

For a moment, Danny only blinked at her before saying. "Well, since I just played moon to a floating house and had dinner with a vampire girl, I am willing to accept anything right about now." Danny then turned to her cousin. "Irms, next time you wanna show me a complete mindfuck, please let me know ahead of time so I can prepare? My brain feels like it just went through three rounds with Mohamed Ali."

"How am I supposed to warn you if I don't see it as a mindfuck?"

"If it is weirder than an old man in a speedo, then warn me." At this, the group began to laugh hysterically. They hadn't met many teenagers in Heathfield that were this open-minded and outspoken. The rest of the school day went pretty uneventful for Danny except for Calculus, which she shared with the odd boy who had been staring at her earlier. She wasn't sure who this boy was or why he was staring at her, but she began to get very annoyed by it very quickly. Sure, he looked cute with his messy black hair, blue eyes, and fine features but Danny wasn't interested in looking for a boy. She overheard someone call him Matt and wondered if he was the same Matt that Irma had told her about; considering everything that had happened that day, Danny could easily believe he was. If he was as crazy as Irma made him sound, Danny was sure she could beat his ass should he try to attack her with a knife.

All too soon, the school was out, and Danny was thankful that she had lost the creepy boy in the school's maze-like halls. She had originally planned to get out of class and head home right away, whether with or without Gwen; she wasn't going to wait on her sister to mosey out of the building. However, the chance to casually walk home and reminisce about the things that have changed in her old hometown was taken from her when she saw her friends waiting for her at the school's front doors. Irma, Taranee, Elyon, Hay-Lyn, and Will stood together in a small group waiting for her as, the moment she came into view, Hay-Lyn bounced in place and waved like they hadn't seen each other in years instead of hours. There was no way to avoid them now that they had noticed her and decided to join them. "Sup guys. What did I miss?"

"Irma thought we would walk you home." Said Will with a smile. "Plus, we kinda wanna see where you live so we can visit and help-out if needed."

"Sure, but the house needs a lot of TLC and I recommend you keep your distance from my uncle Roger. He likes to pinch pretty-girl-butts." At this, the girls exchanged worried glances but shrugged their shoulders. They had gone through worse than a creepy old man in a rundown house.

Will, however, was a little less thrilled; since getting married, she felt unwell when a strange man touched her; she had told herself that those were just early marriage jitters, but now she wasn't so sure anymore. She knew she loved her husband and enjoyed it whenever he touched her as she felt like there were butterflies in her stomach whenever he did. When a strange man touched her, she felt different; the touch of another man, even if it was just a pat on the shoulder, felt cold and distant. Now that she was pregnant, she was beginning to think it has something to do with the incident back at the park. Perhaps, even after everything that had happened since, Will still felt guilty that Phobos had been attacked at the park.

Furthermore, to her surprise, when she stepped out of the Sheffield Institute's doors, she recognized a familiar hint of turquoise at the school gates. It was her husband waiting for her and her friends; he hadn't done this much, but it wasn't too uncommon for him to greet her after school. Though she figured he was only seeing her so early because he couldn't stand the pain of the poison anymore, she couldn't help but smile at him. She couldn't get used to the way he looked when he attempted to blend into Heatherfield; he was so close, but still failed. With his hair tied back in a low ponytail, his turquoise sweater, tan jeans, boots, and black jacket, he was dressed like any other person in Heatherfield, but his face betrayed his heritage. Again, he chose to skip a disguise and his Meridian eye-tattoos were visible. As if they were alone in the castle, she approached him with a smile and gave him a warm hug.

"What are you doing here in Heatherfield? Aren't you needed in Meridian?" she asked in a hushed tone before her friends caught up to them.

"I thought I would welcome Danny to Heatherfield and apologize for my absence at the Sheffield Institute this morning-"

"She knows everything." Will interrupted. There was no point to keep up the charade. "Irma told her everything."

"Everything?" He asked. He knew that both magic and their marriage was seen as odd in this world and wondered how Danny would comprehend everything.

"I know everything; even things I don't think I want to know." Replied Danny as she approached the group. Seeing Will and Phobos this close after discovering everything gave her an odd feeling. They looked like they belonged together; with warm smiles and gentle hugs. Still, knowing their age difference gave her a funny feeling. Furthermore, in her peripheral vision, she noticed the boy again. Just like before, he was staring at them or was he staring at Will? It didn't matter, this was between him and them; she would keep her nose out of it. "If it doesn't bother Will's parents it isn't going to bother me."

"Even about the 5 years between us?" asked Will but her husband corrected her.

"6 years, there are 6 years between us." Will stared up at him questioningly.

"That would make you 21 then. When did you have a birthday?" she had been with him for almost a year, and as far as she knew, he hadn't mentioned ever having a birthday.

"Remember Oro Mortis Day where you complained about the bland rose cakes?"

"That was all the way back in September. You are telling me that you had a birthday and didn't bother telling your wife about it?" she hissed between her teeth. Her friends, including Danny who knew little of Will's temper, took a step back from the married couple. Phobos had a feeling that he had done something wrong again, but he had that feeling often since the beginning of the pregnancy.

"It isn't a big occasion in Meridian- "

"Isn't a big occasion? You made a big deal about my birthday, but not yours? Do you have any idea how awful I feel? You are my husband and it is important that I know these things." Will interrupted again and jabbed her finger into her husband's chest.

"Honestly, it isn't a big thing. As far as I know, most of the citizens don't know when I was born. I am pretty sure not even Cedric remembers and he lives in the castle. I, myself, forgot my birthday once; honestly, there is nothing you need to feel bad about." That someone actively wished to know his birthday was new to him. He remembered only once that his birthday was celebrated and even that day wasn't anything special.

"Those are very weak excuses- "

"There'll be new occasions and I'll make sure to remind you then. Do we have a deal?" it was his turn to interrupt, and he did so with a smile. He loved her temper but worried it might affect the development of the baby. He knew little of children and pregnancies, but he always heard to keep pregnant women calm.

"Fine, I'll let you off the hook this time. But I am still mad at you." Will replied and crossed her arms. Finally, Danny thought she could sneak away and head home but, naturally, Irma noticed and jumped at her cousin.

"Where do you think you are going?" she asked with a mischievous smile. "We want to know where you live so we can bother you whenever we want."

"Great." Muttered Danny and shrugged her shoulders free from her cousin's grip. "Just stay out of my brother's way. Those who know what those wackos will do."

"Are they still as crazy as back then?" asked Irma with a raised eyebrow.

"I think they got worse with age. Like a backward wine." Replied Danny and began to lead the group towards home. Like a bundle of lost puppies, the rest of the group followed; Will took hold of her husband's arm and he gently patted her hand. She was still mad at him and he knew it, but he knew she wouldn't be mad at him for long; he would give it until this evening and then everything would be back to normal. Irma had looked over her shoulder and saw the two, then turned with a smile at her cousin and gently elbowed Danny.

"You can look over your shoulder." She whispered, "Just like the '30s. There is nothing going on between them."

"I hope you are right." Replied Danny and rolled her eyes. Her cousin simply couldn't leave things alone. After a good half hour of walking, the scenery began to change. The brightly painted houses with white trimmings and dainty shops changed to buildings with brick facades and old convenient stores. The further they walked, the more rundown the view of the surrounding became; then, after a few more minutes of walking, Danny's new home came into view. Her stomach sank when she saw the white moving van parked on the curb; she had just missed her brother's arrival and, no doubt, Ella was furious with her. Even a block away, Danny could hear her brothers hard at work on the inside of the old house. They were busy painting, fixing outlets, and patching holes in walls and ceilings. At the foot of the property, Danny could smell the heavy chemicals of Mike's cleaning solutions; no doubt he had mixed something strong enough to peel paint off cars.

Before Danny could climb the first of three steps leading up to her new home, Ella appeared in the doorway and glared down at her little sister. Her blue-dyed hair was pulled back in a sweaty ponytail and her tanned skin shown with a mix of grease, dirt, and sweat.

"Where the hell have you been?" she asked with a harsh voice and placed her hand on her hip while holding a bucket of dirty water in the other. Then she saw the group right behind her little sister, and she saw Irma. "I can't have them here right now. We have a lot of work to do and they would only get hurt."

"I didn't want them to come with me, but we know Irma has a mind of her own. If she wants to follow you, she will follow you come hell or high water." With that, she climbed the stairs and entered the house despite the lung-burning stink of the cleaning chemicals. The inside already looked a lot better than it had that morning. The grease and smoke stains were scrubbed clean from the walls and ceiling; the carpet was steam cleaned and the kitchen was scrubbed to the point that the flower pattern on the cabinets had nearly been bleached away. The carpet floor was still damp from when Mike had used the carpet cleaner on it. Some of their furniture had already been moved in and Roger had taken his place in the living room in his worn lazy chair; he was smoking a cigar that Sydney had brought and was bouncing Jack on his knees.

The twins Sydney and Rodney, with their matching tanned skins and messy afros and yellow-striped sweaters, were busy moving things into place; from what she could see, they were moving her things into the basement and she hoped that they had gassed any of the crawlers that might live down there. She didn't know where Tony and Kevin were and it didn't matter; Mike was busy in the bathroom, scrubbing every surface with the paint peeling chemicals. Janet was in the Livingroom with Roger on a worn-out brown sofa; stretched out and dozing like the tamed animal that she was. Katja was with Janet on the back of the sofa; he was equally dozing but opened his eyes and perked his ears when Danny entered the room. Janet didn't budge.

From behind her, Danny heard a suppressed gasp from her cousin. Irma and the others had walked past Ella, who only mildly protested; she was a little stunned to see the man beside the little red-head. Ella had never seen such an attractive man; to her, he would be perfect if it weren't for the tattoos on his eyebrows. Will had noticed Ella's staring and tightened her grip on her husband's arm. Phobos only offered the blue-haired woman a friendly smile before letting his wife pull him into the house.

"Well, it is a fixer-upper." Said Irma looking around. To Danny, it was clean and began to pull itself together. Then again, Irma was from an upper-middle-class and had never set foot in a place like this. They were from the same family tree, but their branches were in different worlds.

"Well, you should have seen it this morning. There was a stain in the bedroom, and I am still unsure if it looks like the country of Germany or Albert Einstein in profile." From her bedroom, Gwen heard her sister and rushed out to ask for help in moving her dresser but stopped when she saw the rest in the entry hallway. Gwen felt like digging herself a hole and hiding there when she saw her new friend, Elyon, among the group. Elyon noticed Gwen standing in the hallway and gave her a bright smile and enthusiastic wave, but Gwen didn't return the gesture; instead, Gwen dropped the porcelain doll she had been carrying and dashed back to her room, slamming the door behind her. Elyon felt confused and crushed; why had her friend acted like this?

"Don't mind her." Said Danny over Irma's shoulder "She just didn't want you to know how poor she really is."

"You aren't that poor." Irma tried to correct, but Danny waved her hand.

"When there are six in one house and one of them is a baby, the money doesn't stretch far." Replied Danny and smiled at the group.

"If you and your family need financial help…" Danny didn't let her cousin finish the sentence.

"The Downings have endured worse and have always come out clean." She said and gave her cousin a playful pat on Irma's shoulder. "besides, it was about time that someone brought reality onto Gwen. She had been on a high horse since arriving here in Heatherfield."

Irma tried to laugh, but their touches of humor moment were short-lived when, from the back of the group, came a pair of high-pitched yips, like those of excited puppies. The group turned and saw Taranee and Hay-Lyn huddled together on the other side of the room, far away from Roger, who was cackling like a madman; he had pinched the two girls when their attention was away from him. He managed to pinch both of them in their plump, firm, young buttocks.

"My, what pretty things are in my house. Its been years since I pinched a pretty blacky or a cute yellow." Roger cackled and leaned back in his worn chair, where his attention then fell on Will. "How about you, little red, would you care to make an old man happy?"

Will shrank back and Phobos tightened his grip on her. There was no way he would let that old bat lay a finger on his wife. When Roger saw that he wasn't going to get a touch of the red one, he turned his attention to Irma and offered her a toothless smile. "Ah, little Irms. You have grown into a fine young lady. Come here and let me pinch that fine young hinny of your like I use to in the old times."

"Roger you are a nasty old man!" Danny hissed at her uncle and ushered her friends a little further away from him. "I warned you folks about his pinches."

Roger frowned at his grandniece like a child being denied candy and then Elyon caught his attention. With a toothless grin, he made a pinching motion at the young girl. Elyon let out a hushed shriek and retreated closer to her sister-in-law and brother; Roger frowned even more. Phobos returned the gesture to Roger and placed a protective hand on his sister's shoulder; even though he barely knew anything about his sister, he didn't fancy the idea of her being assaulted by some old bat. Luckily, the awkward moment was short-lived when Elyon noticed both Janet and Katja, apparently glaring at Roger, on the sofa. Her brother's hand on her shoulder forgotten, she turned to Danny and asked. "Why are Janet and Katja here. Isn't Sheela going to miss them?"

"Elyon is right." Added Hay-Lyn, also finally noticing the presence of the family pets. "Aren't they part of Sheela's responsibility?"

"Well, they still are, but Sheela can't really take them with her where she is going." Answered Danny, she didn't like the subject but knew there was no way around it.

"What do you mean? Where is she going?" asked Taranee with a raised eyebrow.

"She slipped on a piece of ice two days after you guys left and fractured her hip." Replied Danny and rubbed the back of her neck. The attention of the group was fully on her. "The doctor recommended that she goes to a nursing home until she is fully recovered. Which means she can't really keep an eye on Janet or Katja and she can't really teach me anything. So, Ella took me in, and she is going to teach me."

"Jeez, sorry to hear that, is she going to be alright?" asked Irma, but Danny only shrugged with her shoulders.

"She is tough as nails. I think Janet and Katja will stay with us for about a year, maybe a year and a half, before they return to Canada. Until then, they will sleep on the sofa and eat table scraps. I just hope Janet will be satisfied with spam and chunky dog food."

"Do crawlers eat dogfood?" asked Elyon, her attention was still on Janet who only stared back and yawned; revealing a milky tongue and a row of sharp teeth.

"I sure hope so, otherwise she will grow as hungry as the one that attacked you guys back at the cabin."

"So, you will be training here in Heatherfield?" asked Taranee, a little unnerved about the idea of a Skin-Crawler or multiple living here in Heatherfield.

"Yup, Sydney and Rodney are have tracked down the tribe of five that live here and placed tracking devices on them." The shocked expression on Taranee's chocolate face made Danny shake her head. "So far, there is no reason to be scared. The ones here in Heatherfield are well-fed and won't bother with attacking people. If Sydney gets the computers going, I can show you guys where exactly they are located here. That should be ready tomorrow at the latest."

Just then, Ella returned from the van with a box of items for Danny's room. "Tony and Kevin have gone to get dinner. Say goodbye to your friends and start unpacking your things." She then shoved the box into Danny's arms before returning her attention to the oldest of the group, which was Phobos. "You and your friends can come back tomorrow we are a bit busy today."

Naturally, Will moved a little closer to her husband and gave Ella her best cold glare. Ella didn't understand why that little red-head was glaring at her but suspected that the little girl was the man's sister and that she was protective of her family. How cute. Danny rolled her eyes at her sister's obliviousness.

"We just wanted to welcome Danny and her family back to Heatherfield." Said Irma and walked past Ella with her head bent down. Since childhood, she was scared of Ella and that hadn't changed with age. Hay-Lyn, seemingly sensing Irma's discomfort, followed her water companion also with her head bent down.

"We are sorry for bothering you all today. We will be back tomorrow for a proper welcoming." Added Taranee as the rest of the group filed out of the house. As they walked past Roger, the old man again attempted to pinch Elyon's behind, but she dodged him before he could touch her. Ella's eyes followed the tall, blond man until the front door closed behind him and let out a sigh.

"Don't even bother with that guy." Said Danny, popping her sister's bubble. "That red-head is his wife and she will tear you a new one if you try anything." Danny walked to her basement room before Ella's expression could change to that of shock and surprise. Danny knew that Ella had a horrible habit of going after impossible men. Either they were oblivious of her existence or they were happily married and would never consider her as anything more than a friend. It was best that Danny burst her sister's fantasies now than later.

In the basement, she found a red-painted door to her right that was left ajar. By the smell of fresh paint and the faint light peeking through the crack, Danny could tell that this was going to be her new room. Inside, her theory was confirmed when she saw her silver-colored cabin bed, her purple shag carpet, her black bookshelf, and her sea trunk at the foot of her bed. The room was a lot larger than the others she had in the past; it made her three boxes of belongings seem like nothing and she wondered if it was worth a try to obtain more things. Maybe she could get a computer for school. Then again, she might have to move again and, if she did, she would have to leave a lot of things behind. This was the life she knew, which is why she didn't have any friends; she never lived anywhere long enough to make any. Any except Irma.

Her sister's call for dinner snapped her out of her thoughts and brought her up from the basement. Anthony Thomas Downing, or Tony, and his boyfriend Keven Ramsey had returned from Joe's pizzeria with three large pies for the family. The moment she had reached the first step, Tony saw his little sister for the first time in years. Immediately abandoning the pizzas on the kitchen table, the tall, bearded man with bright blue eyes raced over to his baby sister, picked her up, and attempted to crush the life out of her in a firm bear-hug. "There is my little Danny-baby. How is my little spitfire?"

"Alive for now." Danny managed to squeak out. "but not if you keep crushing me."

The 6.7 tall, broad man then dropped his little sister and firmly patted Danny's shoulder, knocking the wind out of her lungs. "So, how was your first day back at the Sheffield Institute? Are the teachers still as uppity as back then or have they replaced the staff?"

"Mrs. Knickerbocker is still roaming the halls and Mr. Collins is still teaching History; even the food is the same, so I doubt the lunch lady changed." Replied Danny and Tony let out an annoyed grown as he remembered Mrs. Knickerbocker. "If it makes you feel any better, she has moved on from her orange phase to a blue one. She looks more like a peacock than an orange now."

"I bet that was a sight this morning."

"Yup, but she still wears that choking perfume, so I guess only her colors have changed but not the woman."

After the short exchange, the family of 10 gathered tightly around the small kitchen table and helped themselves to the warm pizzas. Katja and Janet were still asleep and didn't show any interest in the available food; not that it was anything to chase after. The dough was undercooked, the sauce tasted like something out of a can completely without any seasoning, the cheese was rubbery and stretched to eternity, and the meat was spice but nothing else. It wasn't anything good, but it was something for the stomach. Roger, of course, complained that he couldn't eat the food since he didn't have any teeth; yet his 2 slices still vanished from his plate and his lips became greasy from the cheese.

After dinner, the family took their turns taking showers from oldest to youngest. Roger insisted that he be allowed the first shower, but that notion was quickly shot down as he always took hours and there was a limited amount of hot water. First Tony but he only ever spent 15 minutes, then Kevin took his shower and he always took twice as long as Tony despite being bald. The twins Sydney and Rodney showered together, they did everything together from the moment they were born. Mike also didn't take long, barely 20 minutes. Then Ella took her shower with baby Jack to save on hot water. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Danny was allowed to take her turn.

Scrubbed clean from rust and lime, and with the broken lightbulbs replaced, the bathroom almost looked useable. She had to admit that Mike had done a great job at cleaning the place, but Mike had always been good at these things. Trying to reserve as much hot water as possible, Danny only turned it on to wash off the soap from her body and managed to break Tony's shower record by 5 minutes. Luckily, once the house was fixed, most of the boys would leave the house and give them more room to live in. Furthermore, Danny was lucky that her room was right next to the heater, so her room was would always be warm in the winter.

Feeling as though her limbs weighed a million pounds, Danny climbed the painful rungs of her cabin bed and flopped down on the bare mattress. Just as she was about to drift off, she heard the metal door creak open and someone climb the rungs of her bed. By the heavy flower smell, Danny could tell it was Gwen who had probably pulled the short straw and had gotten the room with broken heating. "Oh, so now you want something to do with me?"

"Shut up dog-face." Groaned Gwen and cuddled closer to her older sister. Shivering a little as she was beginning to warm-up in her sister's toasty room. "I hate winter."

"What don't you hate, you little goblin?" asked Danny as both little girls began to drift to sleep.

"I don't hate Elyon, nor do I hate Tony."

"What about me?"

"Oh, I hate you the most." Groaned the little girl and Danny chuckled in return before falling into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

After leaving Danny's house, the group quickly disassembled; each leaving in their own direction, lost in thought about Danny and her family. Sure, Sheela's cabin was small, but it was warm and cozy; the place their friend lived in now seemed a disgrace. Of the group, Irma was the most bothered. Sure, Danny's side of the family was never as wealthy as her side, but it had never been as apparent to her as it was now. It made her feel guilty to be so well off. While every member of Danny's family had to work for a living, Irma was lucky that her father worked in an office where he made enough that her mother could stay home all day. It didn't seem fair to Irma and she wished she knew how to fix life so that it was.

Hay-Lyn and Taranee walked to the Silver Dragon together, occasionally rubbing the tender spot on their butts where Roger had pinched them with his long, old-man, nails.

"Can you believe Danny is related to that nasty, old, kook?" asked Hay-Lyn and Taranee shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't, but a while ago I wouldn't have believed that other worlds existed and that we have magical, elemental, powers to protect it."

"Still," Hay-Lyn started again, "shouldn't we inform the authorities about Roger? He can't just go around pinching 'pretty-girl-butts' all year 'round."

"True, but Danny's family needs his retirement checks. If we alerted the authorities and he was taken away, it would be one less income for them." Countered Taranee and Hay-Lyn hung her head in defeat. As usual, Taranee was right.

"Still, there has to be something we can do."

"Well, we could use Pavlova's conditioning." Suggested Taranee with a grin and Hay-Lyn looked at her friend with an eyebrow raised in confusion and Taranee gladly explained. "Each time he pinches someone, we ask Irma to splash him with cold water until he stops."

"I would prefer we ask Will or Phobos to zap that old codger." Replied Hay-Lyn with a laugh.

XXXXX

For a long while, the small royal family walked together in silence. No one wanted to think of how Danny was living compared to them; furthermore, no one wanted to think of the old man Danny had to share her home with. The King wished they had been in Meridian, where he would have had all the right of the kingdom to burn the old man for attempting to touch Will and Elyon. Sadly, they weren't in Meridian and Will would never have allowed him to turn the man to ashes; so, all he could do was bit his lip and wait. Still, he promised himself that, should to old man attempt something again next time, that he would break his fingers.

Elyon, unlike her brother, was thinking of something else. She was just as surprised as Will to see him at the school gates. Furthermore, she had noticed the protective hand he had placed on her shoulder when Roger attempted to pinch her. She wondered what that had meant. Was he really worried about her or was he simply acting to make a good impression on Will? Though she wished the former, she felt it was the later. Then again, she thought, at the cabin he had attempted to reconnect with her. However, he had started a snowball-fight to escape a conversation with her. Then again, he had bandaged her injuries after the crawler attack. Still, he hadn't kept in contact since returning from the cabin.

This back and forth gave her a headache and she wished her brother was less complicated. She wished he would simply tell her he was sorry; she would accept and even forgive him. She could never forget what he had done, but she would follow Will's advice and give him a chance. Furthermore, she would ask him for advice; ask him to teach her. He had been willing to teach her back when she first arrived in Meridian; back before she knew he only wanted to drain her of her powers. Still, he was willing and able to teach her and Elyon was sure he could continue to teach her. She didn't care about her magic and he could have it if he knew how to drain it from her without killing her, but she wanted him to teach her how to defend herself. She knew he was a good fighter and she could use a few good tricks to keep Arty away from her. The teachers always excused his actions he had a mental condition or that was the excuse that his parents offered the school, and no amount of begging them to talk with him would make him stop.

Soon, the small family came across the crossroads where they would go their separate ways; this was Elyon would be home before her parents. With a quiet goodbye to her sister-in-law and her brother, she turned down Keystone Road and headed home. Leaving Will and Phobos to walk together alone.

"We should invite Elyon to come with us to Ero next month." Suggested Will as she leaned her head against her husband's arm.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Phobos and tried to imagine taking his little sister with them to meet her extended family.

"Well, she has the right to meet her family and it would help your relationship with her. You haven't kept in contact with her since returning from the cabin. You two are never going to get along if you keep being so distant with her."

"You have a point." He replied and freed his arm from Will's tight grip to wrap it around her waist and keep her close. "I haven't been a good example of a brother."

"You just need practice." Replied Will with a smile. "But you can't stop practicing, otherwise you'll never get good at it."

"Again, you have a point."

"At the very least you gestured that you would protect her."

"You noticed?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Of course, I did. I also noticed how Ella tried to flirt with you." Will replied and playfully nudged Phobos in the side with her elbow.

"She did? I haven't noticed."

"You pretended not to notice so I wouldn't rip her head off."

"My, my what harpy did my wife turn into?" he tried to hold back his laughter and Will only rolled her eyes at him.

"Sorry, but I don't like to share what is mine." Replied Will and tightly wrapped her arms around his middle. "And never call me a harpy ever again."

"Alright, my dear, I will both keep my distance from Ella, and I will never call you a harpy again if it means your temper will remain low."

"I guarantee nothing."

After that, the couple quietly walked down the semi-busy streets of Heatherfield. The snow was mostly melted away by rain, but the biting cold remained and soaked through their shoes to chill their feet. It was the type of winter cold that clung to any exposed skin like a second skin and kept one cold for hours after finding shelter. It was the type of cold that Will hated the most. A brittle, dry cold quickly left the body after finding warmth, but this wet cold clung to the body for hours and made Will wish to curl up under a thick blanket with her husband and have him hold her. Despite giving the appearance of being cold and calculated, Phobos was the type of person who was a natural heater. Either that or Will easily got cold; perhaps both.

Instead of heading down Main Street, which would lead them to Cedric's antique bookstore, they turned off on Heart Drive that leads them to Will's old home. It was an agreement with Susan that Will stayed on Earth until after dinner before returning to Meridian and Will managed to follow this habit on most days unless it was the weekend or Meridian needed its' queen. They both knew that, soon, they would have to find a new arrangement to satisfy Susan. Perhaps, now that Susan was engaged, her mind would be too preoccupied, and they could tell her without having her faint.

Before Will's old home, they stopped for a moment and exchanged a worried glance. The King knew Susan still didn't approve of him and he didn't want to stay long, but Will wouldn't let go of him, so he was forced to face his mother-in-law this time. To both of their surprise, it was Dean who opened the door and smiled at them; his mustache giggling as he did. "Ah, Will and Phobos, nice to see you both here. Please come in."

He gave both a warm and hearty welcome by firmly embracing both of them. Since Susan accepted his proposal, he felt as though his heart was floating on a cloud. For an entire week, he couldn't concentrate on his work, smiled all the time, and didn't even realize that he hugged a king as though they were drinking buddies. Susan wasn't much different. Sitting on the living room sofa, she sat reading a bridal magazine with a whimsical look in her eyes; it was clear that mentally, she was far away. Will was glad that her mother found love again and she hoped it would last, but it still felt strange coming home to a mother that was as bubbly was a teenager. Susan looked up from her magazine and brightly smiled at Will; however, her smile was short-lived when she saw Will's husband just a few feet behind her daughter.

"Sorry if I ask," Dean cleared his throat when he saw how sour Susan's mood became when she spotted her son-in-law. "What managed to drag you out of Meridian?"

"I have come here for two reasons. One was to welcome Will's friend, and Irma's cousin, Danny to Heatherfield. Secondly, I wished to congratulate both of you on your engagement." Phobos answered, conjured a bottle of Meridian wine, and handed it to Dean who gladly accepted it with a chuckle.

"I was going to ask Will if she could bring us a bottle. It is almost as if you read my mind." His expression then changed to that of worry. "Did you?"

"No sir, it is just a habit of mine to gift wine bottles. Gifting clothes and sweets is more of a risk. Cloths might not fit, and sweets might make the gifted sick." He replied and Dean laughed with relieve.

"Are you staying with us for dinner?" Susan asked him as though she asked a stranger she just met on the bus.

"My apologies ma'am, but I must return to Meridian. The job of a King never ends."

"Oh, come one." Whined Will. "You work all the time; can't you take one break?"

"Each time I take a break, the work piles up and it doubles. Not to mention that we still have to prepare for the visit to Ero next month and we have to commission someone for a room for our upcoming guest." He wanted to say, 'for the baby', but he could tell that now wasn't a good moment to reveal anything to Susan. Thankfully, Will quickly caught on.

"The guest isn't going to visit for a long while and I am sure you and I can fix a room just fine without asking someone for help."

"Wilhelmina, we can discuss this further this evening." Phobos gently placed his hands on Will's shoulders and gave her a soft shake so she would remember they were visiting her mother and weren't in Meridian where they could openly discuss this. "when you return to Meridian, I'll take all evening off and we can argue about this all you want. Right now, I really must return and answer some important letters."

Will looked at her husband, then risked a quick glance at her mother, who was still glaring coldly at Phobos, before sighing and lightly shaking her head. "Fine. See you this evening, but don't think I'll change my mind."

He weakly smiled, gave her a light kiss on the cheek since he didn't dare anything more around Susan, and left through the large living room mirror that he had once used to enter the house. The moment he was out of the room, Susan spoke her mind. "You just had to marry a workaholic."

"Susan," Dean shook his head. "You can't fault the man for the job he was born to do. Besides, from what Will has reported, Meridian is doing great with him in charge."

"Plus, we always have something to talk about." Added Will, glad that Dean did not share Susan's displeasure.

"And what did he mean with a visit to Ero next month? You are going somewhere and didn't discuss it with me?"

"It is a formal invitation by Duchess Armana to the birthday of her niece, who is the daughter of Queen Isabella. Isabella Ero is the closest cousin to the Escanor family, there is no discussion about it: I have to go." Replied Will, but Susan only shook her head.

"You could have told me sooner. How do you imagine explaining your absence from school?" asked Susan as though she managed to corner her daughter and convince her not to visit the strange country of Ero.

"I haven't missed from school, even after marrying Phobos. I am sure skipping 1 week to attend a formal event isn't going to cause too much trouble. I'll simply pretend to be sick on Friday before I leave, and everyone will think I am home with a cold." She then looked at Dean with pleading eyes. "I promise not to miss any further days, but I have to go this time."

"Well, Will." Dean started, he didn't want to sour Susan's mood any further, but he also wanted to please his future step-daughter, especially since she was a queen to a kingdom he found most fascinating. "Other students have been out of school for longer than a week, so I am sure that it could be possible. However, it will be a lot of work to catch up on and you can't expect me to help you with any of it. In anything else I am Dean, but when it comes to school I am still Mr. Collin's to you. Is that understood?"

"You are being crystal clear." Will smiled.

"Fine," Susan realized that this was a battle she had lost. "I'll let you go, and I'll cover for you." Then she remembered something else she had overheard from their conversation. "Who will visit you and Phobos and why does it involve preparing a room for them? Surely the castle has enough guest rooms."

Will froze, unsure how to answer and she didn't want to reveal her pregnancy to her mother just yet; not with Susan's sour mood. "Well, an official from Morovia is scheduled to visit us and they have a particular taste. Phobos wants to commission someone to fix a room for them, but I think we can save that effort and fix it ourselves." She smiled and hoped Susan bought her hastily thought-out lie. Susan narrowed her eyes at her daughter. Luckily, Dean's chuckle distracted Susan before she could poke any holes in Will's excuse.

"Well Will, I wish you all the luck in the world to convince that boy to change his mind. He is a nice man, but I can tell he is stubborn."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it." Replied Will and rolled her eyes. "I swear that moron stays awake at night to come up with new ways to be stubborn."

"Is this how you always speak about your husband?" asked Dean with a smile. He was beginning to warm Will up to him. He knew she accepted him, but he wanted his future step-daughter to like him.

"I call him whatever I like, and he hasn't complained once."

"And yet you married that moron." Muttered Susan, her attention was back on her magazine and she didn't think anyone would have heard her.

"Susan." Dean didn't know what to say about her comment. He knew she didn't like the fact that Will married at such a young age, but he was beginning to wonder if she would still act like this if Will was of age. Unlike Dean, Will had a reply to her mother; to her, no one but her was allowed to call her husband names.

"Yes mother, I married that moron and I am happy with him." She then crossed her arms and shot her mother a disappointed look. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about him as if he were the villain in this."

"I am sorry Will, but I just can't get used to the fact that you are married to a man much older than you. I think it is wrong and sick." Replied Susan to her defense and placed the magazine down on the coffee table in front of her.

"Sick?" Will was shocked. "Mom, I did this free willingly. I wanted to marry that man and I am happy with him. Can't you just be happy for me?"

"No, I can't," replied Susan and crossed her arms. "Couldn't you have waited until you were 18? Or better yet, marry him when you were 30; that way you at least saw some of this world before tying the knot with a man 6 years older than you." She then leaned forward a bit for emphasis. "young marriage never last, take it from my experience."

The moment Susan spoke those words did she wish she could take them back because she realized the unspoken meaning behind them. With her cheeks turning a deep, strawberry red from anger, Will hissed through her teeth. "I asked you if you could let me go before I married him, and you said you would try."

"Will, I didn't- "Will didn't let her mother finish.

"Yet every time I mention him, or you see him you have been nothing but cold and distant to him. I don't know if you have noticed it, mother, but I married him because I love him. I married him because I am happy with him. I married him because, unlike others, he doesn't hold every single mistake I make against me for all eternity!" Will's outburst surprised Susan and she sank back a bit. "How are you going to react when I start a family with that man? Are you still going to be this nasty towards him or are you going to give him a chance then?"

"Will, you used to fight that man, how can you even think of having a child with him?" Susan snapped back, afraid of what her daughter might say next. She didn't want to think about her daughter being active with that man.

"Because he is my husband." Replied Will, she managed to catch herself before revealing her surprise. "I managed to forgive him. I won't forget what we lived through, but I can move on."

Will then zipped up her jacket and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Susan asked.

"To Meridian." Suddenly, her former home felt stuffy and claustrophobic, she had to leave.

"We are about to have dinner." Susan got up from the sofa, but Dean placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from following Will.

"I am not hungry, and I have work to do." Replied Will without turning to face her mother.

"Will, you are going to have dinner with us."

"I'll be back tomorrow evening."

"Will, I am your mother and you'll do as I say." At this, Will whipped her head around and shot her mother a cold glare.

"I am a Queen, mother, I do not have to do a single thing you say!"

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Susan wondered what had happened to the little girl that used to follow her every command. "If you keep acting like this, then I won't let you go to Ero, I won't cover for you anymore, I won't let you go to Meridian, and I won't let your 'husband' anywhere near this place. Do you understand?"

"Keep throwing around your empty threats, mother, and see where that brings you!" Will spat back and slammed the front door shut behind her hard enough that a small picture that hung beside the door nearly fell from its' hook. Susan sank back onto the sofa, her knees felt as though they were made of rubber. In a way, Susan meant what she said. She had married early in life, shortly after discovering that she was pregnant with Will and, despite trying to make the marriage work, her marriage fell apart. Surely, had she not gotten pregnant or had waited with marriage until she fully knew her ex. It would have saved herself a lot of heartaches. Still, Will wasn't Susan, she had her own life and her own mistakes to make; Susan knew this, but she was a mother and a mother protects her child from anything that might harm her.

With her hands shaking and her eyes wet with tears, Susan pressed her knuckles against her lips as if holding back any more words. "What did I just do?"

"Susan, it is a stressful time for all of us." Said Dean in an attempt to comfort the shaking woman beside him. "We are engaged, Will is married and a teenager, and we all have stressful jobs that nag at the back of our minds. Not to mention Will is still changing. She wants you to accept her decisions and see her as an adult and you want to see her as your baby. Furthermore, teenagers are clingy, and she hangs on that boy she is married to. Maybe she thinks you love her less since she is splitting her attention between you and him."

"I don't love her any less since she got married. I just think she should have waited." Replied Susan and wiped some of her tears away. "And, maybe, marry a man that isn't nearly a decade older than her. It would also help that he was from Earth and not some other planet."

"Susan, you can want in one hand and spit in another. Will chose that boy and- "

"He is not a boy, Dean." Susan tried to clarify what bothered her the most. "He is a man and she is thinking about starting a family with him. She is too young!"

"She isn't too young in the culture she married into." Dean tried to reason with Susan. "They have their reasons to have such a low marriage age. Plus, in other places on Earth, the legal minimum for marriage is 16. Will was just 2 years short of that when she married. Furthermore, many teens have their first child with 16."

"My baby girl hates me." Muttered Susan, completely deaf to her fiancé's explanations, and Dean shook his head. He loved that woman, but he could never fully figure out where in her mind he was, or if she was even listening to him half the time.

"Will doesn't hate you. She just wants you to accept her decisions as they are without holding them against her. Besides, if you gave your son-in-law the same chance Will did you might find you like him. He seems to treat Will like a jewel and he is well mannered."

"You only like him because you like Meridian wine." Susan tried to laugh and leaned her head against Dean's shoulder. He chuckled and gently rubbed her arm.

"You might have a point, but I am earnest with what I said. Just give him a chance; talk with him or start by asking him how his day was. I am not saying you have to like the boy, but if you show that you are giving him a chance, then it will make Will happy."

"Alright," Susan sighed and wrapped her arms around her finance's shoulders. "I'll give him a chance next time I see him."

For a moment, neither one spoke, but simply held each other; each thinking their own thoughts.

XXXXX

Fighting tears, Will walked through the dimming streets of Heatherfield. She had nearly confessed to her mother; now she wondered if she should return and tell her mother about the little bundle of life growing inside her. However, she didn't know how her mother would react. Given how she still rejected Phobos, Will wondered if she would accept the baby or if she would reject it like she did its' father. It wasn't like they had planned to have a child this early in their marriage, but Will was happy nonetheless; at least she thought she was. Now, after the fight with her mother, she wasn't so sure anymore. She loved Phobos, there was no doubt about it, and she loved what was growing inside her, and she loved her mother, but she didn't know which she loved more. She could never not love her mother, but she might have to keep her distance from her for a while and this hurt her soul. As if nature read her mood, it began to snow again, and the temperatures dropped.

Thankfully, she didn't have that long to walk to reach the hidden portal in Cedric's shop; within 15 minutes, she reached the shop with the name Ye Old Books freshly painted with gold trimming. From across the street. Will could look into the shop through its' windows and saw the Lord speaking with someone, but who it was Will couldn't tell. If it was a customer, Will would wait until they left before using the portal. This would give her enough time to calm herself; she didn't want her husband to ask why she was crying. As quietly as she could and with her head hung low, Will tried to sneak into the shop without being noticed or without interrupting the conversations, but she failed at this.

"Queen Wilhelmina?" asked a soft, feminine voice and Will looked up, Cedric was having a conversation with Miranda. Seeing the young woman with her short, black hair and ice-blue eyes made Will smile. She hadn't seen Elyon's old playmate since getting married since Miranda had fulfilled one of her childhood wishes. To travel. Miranda had been missing from Meridian for nearly a year to travel to the neighboring kingdoms and, despite knowing little about her, Will was happy to see her and immediately rushed over to give her a friendly hug.

"Miranda, it is nice to see you again. How were your travels?"

"Umm, great your Highness." Replied Miranda, unsure how to comprehend that a royal was hugging her like a friend. Sure, she was Elyon's friend once, but Elyon was a princess, not a queen. Furthermore, Miranda despite knowing of Will and Phobos's marriage, she still hadn't gotten used to the fact that Will, the leader of the Guardians, and her king were together. The idea that those two, with all the battles they had, developed a functional relationship seemed too unbelievable to her.

"We are not at the Meridian court. Please, just call me Will." Replied Will and held the girl at arm's length. "Now, how were your travels?"

"Well, Will, I was just about to tell Cedric the same thing. I would have reported to you and the king, but I didn't want to interrupt any important royal duties." Replied Miranda and her eyes shifted between the Lord and the Queen.

"Now that you mentioned it," Cedric interjected before Miranda or Will could say another word. "A letter has arrived for you, Will. I recommend you read it in case it is something important. It lays on your desk in your study."

Just like Miranda, Cedric hadn't gotten used to the idea of having the leader of the Guardians for a Queen. He felt she was more of a distraction than a good. Furthermore, he felt that she was keeping Phobos from fulfilling his goal, a goal he and the King had worked towards since the death of Queen Weria. The plan was to rule all of Metarmoor and then expand to other worlds, but now the King didn't seem bothered to follow this goal. If anything, the King seemed to stagnate. Every new law or piece of legislation only focused on Meridian itself; nothing close to expansion. He knew this was all because of her. Each time a new law was presented, the King would thoroughly read it over and even ask 'Would Will be accepting of this?' before signing or rejecting it.

Lastly, he wanted a moment alone with Miranda. He wasn't going to hide it he felt a certain amount of affection for the girl and he was sure his heart nearly broke when she left without a proper goodbye. He didn't ask for much, just a few minutes alone with her was all he asked for. Will, though she didn't know why, nodded her head. "Thank you, Cedric, I'll see to it right away."

With that, she turned her attention to the bookcase that hid the portal and was about to shift the bookcase to the side when she turned her attention to Miranda one more time. "Make sure to say 'hello' to Elyon, she missed you terribly." Then she was gone.

Immediately, Miranda returned her attention to Cedric. "How are things in Meridian? While I was in Morovia I heard rumors that things have improved. Are the rumors true?"

"Yes, they are." Replied Cedric with a sigh. "Queen Wilhelmina brought some ideas from Earth with her when she married into the royal family."

"You don't sound very happy about that." Noted Miranda and Cedric shook his head.

"Meridian didn't need free education for the masses, nor did it need a secure retirement program or healthcare system. They just sap funds from the plans for expansion. Free education isn't needed because the peasants learn all they need from their parents. The secure retirement isn't necessary because the young always took care of the old, it is tradition and cultural customs. Healthcare isn't needed because each little hamlet has a medical man or woman that keeps the people well. In short, her ideas are useless and unneeded. If there is anything they do, it is wreck traditions."

"What is so wrong with giving Meridian stability before expanding it?" asked Miranda with a raised eyebrow. "If King Phobos wishes to expand his rule, then it would be most advised that he does so after establishing a sturdy base."

"He is powerful enough that he doesn't need all of Meridian to be stable." Argued Cedric. "Meridian worked just fine the way it was for millennia."

"Meridian was stagnating for all those years." Countered Miranda and crossed her arms. "Besides, if the people are happy then they are more willing to go fight for the crown."

"That is another thing." Muttered Cedric. "I think Queen Wilhelmina is too much of a distraction to the King. It seems that he forgot all the plans for expansion and world-conquering since falling for her. I still think she is behind his poisoning, but I don't have any proof; not that Phobos would believe any evidence he would be presented with. She is fully anchored in his mind."

"So far, I don't see the same problems you do." Replied Miranda in a soft tone. "Meridian needed modernization before it can expand. Perhaps the King hasn't forgotten but is simply placing his focus on what is more important. After all, one must learn to walk before they learn to run."

XXXXX

In Meridian, Will immediate went to her study. She was a little crushed that her conversation with Miranda was cut short because of a letter; especially since the letter wasn't anything important. The letter was simply a wax-sealed, formally printed, version of the verbal invitation to Ero. Surely, this could have waited. Still, Will read it over twice before placing it in her backpack; tomorrow she would see Elyon and she would hand the letter to the young princess. Surely, Elyon would be interested in attending the birthday party and meet the rest of her family. Still feeling cold and emotionally sapped from the fight with her mother, Will wandered down the dimly lit castle hallways to her husband's study. Occasionally, she looked out the windows as she walked and noticed that it was snowing again. Apparently, nowhere she went was she safe from the cold snow.

Soon, she reached the door of her husband's study and quietly opened it. As expected, Phobos was bent over the desk with a bunch of papers and scrolls spread out in front of him. He noticed the creek of the door and looked up from his work to see the glum expression on his wife's face. "Wilhelmina, what is the matter?"

"Nothing much. I just had a rough day." Replied Will and walked up to him. Before he could stand, she reached him and wrapped her arms around his neck. With a sigh, he pulled her onto his lap and gently stroked her short, red, hair; he knew she wasn't telling him the full story.

"Your day seemed fine until just now." He countered and Will pressed her face in the crook of his neck. "What happened after I left?"

"Mother still can't accept that we are together." Muttered Will. "So, we got into a fight."

"Well, that would be a reason to argue. Considering we are married and will soon have a child."

"That is another thing." Added Will and suppressed the urge to cry. "I mentioned wanting to start a family with you and she thinks our relationship is sick."

"Well," he started, unsure of what to say to calm her. He didn't like it when she was crying. "On Earth, our relationship is heavily frowned upon."

"But we aren't married on Earth," countered Will, "We are married in Meridian under Meridian customs."

"True, we are living under Meridian customs, but your mother isn't. Plus, we didn't exactly give her a lot of time to warm-up to the idea of our relationship. In a way, we sprung it upon her. Perhaps we should have waited and remained engaged for a little while, but I didn't want to risk anything else happening. I wanted to keep you near me, so it is partly my fault." At this, Will lightly punched his chest and glared at him.

"I didn't want to wait either and I am not regretting what we did when we did it."

"I didn't say I regretted anything. I am saying that I could have been more patient and properly introduce myself to your mother." He tried to clarify. "To her, I am a strange man that took her daughter away."

"At the same time, she could give you a chance." Replied Will stubbornly.

"Wilhelmina, say we have a daughter and she fell in love with a man one day as you did with me. Would you be as accepting of their relationship as you wished your mother was with ours?"

"Yes, I would." She replied and leaned her head against his chest.

"I'll remind you of that when the time comes." Will chuckled a little and Phobos was glad that he managed to lift her spirit a little. He didn't know why he disliked it when she was upset; it made him feel uneasy and powerless, which are both things he hated to feel. However, he didn't know why he felt that way when she was upset. Perhaps it had something to do with the poison or it had something to do with the amount of time they spent together; which it was he didn't care, and he didn't mind having to work to cheer her up. It made him feel important in a way that his position as the king didn't. Will wiped her eyes and glanced over her shoulder at the papers on his desk.

"What are the papers for?"

"I am looking over several contractors for a room for our child." He replied and leaned back in his seat to be more comfortable. He enjoyed the sensation of holding her and didn't mind how distracting she was. If anything, the sensation of her warm curves against him was most agreeable to him. Will frowned a little.

"Why are you looking for a contractor? We still have plenty of time until it is born."

"We only have around 8 months left until you deliver. Perhaps a little less or a little more, but that isn't a lot of time." He replied and kept running his fingers through her hair; she smelled of wild irises.

"The castle has plenty of rooms, especially rooms near ours. I am sure we can find a crib and things like that in a month or two. Besides, I don't want some stranger to set a room for us." She then pushed herself from his chest a little and looked him in the eyes. "It is our child shouldn't we be the ones to fix a room for it?"

"Wilhelmina, I know nothing about children and what they will need. I know they will need a place to sleep, clothes, food, and the like but I know nothing else about them." He hoped he could make her understand. "Furthermore, this would be our first and I don't want to make any mistakes."

"I don't want to make any mistakes either, but we will never learn how to take care of a baby if we don't make mistakes." Will countered. Phobos admitted that she had a point, but this was an important matter.

"This isn't cooking or magic where minor mistakes can be forgiven. This is a living thing. It is our living thing and a minor mistake could hurt it; I am afraid to hurt it by accident. This is why I am working to learn as much as I can and take advice from experts, so I minimize the chance. If anything, it is best if I gather as much information now while we still have time."

Will groaned and leaned against her husband's chest, he had a point. In every argument they ever had, he had a point. Whether or not he won the argument was a different subject, what mattered was that he always had a point. However, she could have a point as well. "Fine, go and find someone to help us fix a room for it. But, I want to be there when they work on it and I want it near ours. I don't want it to be too far away from me and I have a vision of how the room should look like."

"Anything you want, my dear. If you want, you can choose everything from the color of the walls to the softness of the crib." He then pushed her at arm's length. "I promise not to make any decisions over the baby without consulting you about it. Do we have a deal?"

Will smiled at the man in her arms and sighed in relief. Like he had with her, Will ran her fingers through his hair and wondered if she should let her's grow a little longer. Then again, she had kept it short for a reason. She was never a very feminine girl and her husband didn't mind, if anything he admitted that he found it adoring how stubborn and outspoken she was. Still, a few inches longer wouldn't hurt anything. "Deal."

"Feel better?" he asked, and Will nodded her head.

"Yeah." She replied and placed her forehead against his with her eyes closed. "I still think you are stressing too much about the baby."

"I'll try not to lose too much sleep about it if it makes you feel better." Again, Will smiled and held him a little tighter. She was glad that she could rely on him whenever she needed a shoulder to lean on. As though thanking him for his warmth and comfort, she gently pressed her lips against his. He responded by deepening the kiss and holding her a little tighter.

The papers listing contractors was completely forgotten; what mattered now was that she wanted his attention and he would give her all that she wanted. Even now, after they were crowned King and Queen of Meridian, after discovering their upcoming parenthood, and after surviving everything in the Canadian woods he would drop everything for her. If she wanted it, he would abandon his crown without a second thought. If she wanted, he would pluck the moon from the sky to give it to her. If she wanted, he would give up everything he had ever worked for in his life. He would do all this just to make her happy and keep her by his side.

Will knew this and she felt the same for him as she tightened their embrace. She would give up her position as guardian for him. She would give up seeing her mother, even if it stung her heart, to keep him by her side. She would forgive everything he had ever done and would do to keep his love for her. She wasn't sure if he knew this and she didn't think it was important that she tell him now. Sometimes, she wondered if the poison that afflicted him had any effects on her, but Sophia never mentioned a side effect like that. Once she even thought that he had commissioned the potion brewer to make a similar one for her, but other than missing him when they were parted she felt nothing. She never felt any pain or agony, she only missed him and wondered how he was. This was enough evidence for her to know she wasn't poisoned to love him. She loved him for all the reasons she had listed to her mother and more. He made her heart race, coated her brain in cotton, and made her feel like she was an adult. All were feelings that she longed for.

Many things annoyed her about her husband as well. He was a chronic workaholic and would always use work as an excuse to be absent from social gatherings; she was sure no king ever had to work as he did. He was an insomniac, which she hated the most as it meant that the bed remained cold until he finally joined her. He was a little dense, as she would drop several subtle hints and flirts, but he would never really react to them. She didn't know if he ignored them or never noticed them until she threw herself at him. He was ungodly stubborn and determined; once something was in his mind, nothing could stop him from trying to see his plans through. His kiss moved from her lips to her neck and she suppressed a giggle when his beard brushed against the soft skin of her neck. All those things were flaws she could look past as long as he loved her.


	8. Chapter 8

While the people in Heatherfield and Meridian argued and laughed and slept and reconnected and loved, Armana Ero was wide awake and busy. On one hand, she was tasked with planning her niece's first birthday party. The first birthday was the most important despite the infant mortality rate has dropped to less than 5% in the last 20 years; it meant that the child had passed the first hurdle in the marathon that was life. On the other hand, she and her new advisor were busy unearthing an ancient temple dedicated to the first gods to Metarmoor. The temple, though mostly in ruins, was still well preserved enough that most of the statues within were recognizable. This was a major find to the historical community in all of Metarmoor; it proved that the early people not only worked together but were creative. Furthermore, according to her advisor, the temple predated Meridian, which made it the oldest structure and gave more than enough information about the people that lived back then.

However, it wasn't the temple itself that fascinated her; it fascinated Isabella and Myra and all the other important people, but it held no value to Armana. What mattered to Armana lay beneath the temple according to legend and her advisor. According to legend, a great army lay buried deep beneath the temple, punished to consciously decay by the ocean god Uisce; waiting for someone to unearth them so they may serve their new master. For a long while, Armana didn't believe the stories this woman named Ionah told her; that is until the temple was unearthed exactly where the ram-horned woman had said it would be. All Ionah's explanation for knowing of its' location was, "All oral legends stem from truth."

"Still, the legends of the first gods are so old that most of the specific information about them is lost to time." Argued Armana as she leaned back in her soft armchair.

"It is only lost to those who don't pay attention." Replied Ionah, her magenta eyes giving off a silver twinkle. "I, however, pay attention to everything."

"So, I have noticed." Armana's expression changed to a grimace. "I still can't believe I let you convince me to become King Orlan's Céile Siombalach." She shivered and took a sip of her liquor. "The thought of that nasty boy butting his hands on my body is sickening."

"Patience," cued Ionah and sat up from the study's red sofa to run her fingers through the Duchess's raven black hair. "It will all be worth it in the end. I promise this to you."

"I hope you are." Replied Armana and closed her ruby eyes. "Otherwise I'll have your head floating in the Ruhn."

"No, you won't," there was a very light chuckle in Ionah's soft voice. "For you will have no regrets by the end of this."

"You talk like you are so sure about this."

"I am as sure about it as I am that the army lies beneath the temple." Her voice was honey-sweet and it was so easy to believe every word this strange woman with unknown origins said.

"Still, why must my goal involve Orlan's grubby hands on me?"

"All great prizes come with a minor sacrifice." Replied Ionah and gently rubbed Armana's arm like a mother would to comfort her depressed child. "Just think of this: Once you are done and everything is achieved, there will be no King Orlan and there will be no Morovia. There might not even be a Meridian or a Gia; there will only be you upon the throne with all the unworthy slain by your feet."

At the thought of being in control and holding power where she had once been powerless was very pleasant to Armana. Finally, she would have the power to control her surroundings and run Metarmoor the way she saw fit. All the morons that stood in her way and ruined the way Metarmoor should run would be gone and would never bother her again. Surely she could run Metarmoor better than her brother could run Ero, better than King Turun could run Gia, and better than King Phobos could run Meridian. All she had to do was follow Ionah's advice and bide her time until it was all under her control. "Wouldn't that be a wonderful thought."

"Yes, it is." Cued Ionah and Armana looked up at her advisor.

"Since you seem to know so much about the ancient legends, why was the army cursed by Uisce? I am curious and there are no written records fo the time."

"The Army served King Oro during his mid-30's when the King became paranoid with the thought of someone assassinating him." Ionah's magenta eyes stared into empty space as if the story was written on the study wall. "Somehow, the King gained the idea that a village near the coast was planning a revolt. Naturally, the mad King sent his entire army to the village. The original order was to surround and interrogate the village, but shortly before reaching the outskirts of the village, a messenger raven arrived with an order from Oro. According to legend, the order was to destroy the entire village; to kill every living being in it and level it to the ground. The general didn't question the order and the army did as they were told. The greatest army to ever live killed every man, woman, child, and animal in the village; not even a mouse remained. Little did anyone know the village was protected by the ocean deity. Oro was going to be judged by his death, but the army needed to be judged then and there. Because the general could have denied the order, pretended he never received it, and because the army could have refused the order Uisce punished them himself. Allegedly, the ancient god stepped out of the sea and stood taller than the temple; tall enough to be half-submerged in the ocean while he rested his arms on the cliff where the village stood as though it were a table. Glaring down at the army he asked them to plead their case and their only excuse was 'it was an order from the king.' With that, Uisce cursed the entire army to rest under the temple until a being powerful enough to awaken them. That is how the army ended up under the temple and it is waiting for you to unearth them and awaken them. They have been there for so long, it would be cruel to let them wait any longer, now wouldn't it?"

"True, it would be cruel to let them wait, but we can't be too hastily now. If we acted too soon, our friends from Meridian might try to stop me, so they must be taken care of first." Armana purred to herself at the thought. "But that wouldn't take too long. They are to arrive in just a few weeks."

"True, it is only a few weeks now. Three weeks and two days before our plan can start blooming." Corrected Ionah and returned to her seat at the sofa.

"However, tell me one thing." Armana rested her head in her hands and stared at Ionah as if she were trying to remember every detail of the woman; from the ram horns to the golden hair, to the magenta eyes. "Why do you want the Queen. What is she to you?"

Ionah only shrugged her shoulders. "Does it matter why I want the Queen?"

"No, it doesn't." replied Armana, "it doesn't."

XXXXX

While Armana was comforted by her new advisor, her son was running about the castle looking for his friend. Despite being 13, nothing delighted more than playing children's games with his dearest friend Ratun. Sadly, Ratun was a master at hide and seek; then again, the boy was 15 and could move like a ghost. Dante ran from one room to another looking for his friends in the closets, under tables, in servant cabinets, and under beds but he couldn't find his friend. The one-room Dante did not think to search was the library, where his cousin Myra resided daily. That was where Ratun was, hidden behind a bookshelf, his pale brown eyes fixated on Princess Myra. He didn't mind that he was of higher states then him or that she was older than him. If anything, the fact that she was older than any girl his age made her more valuable to him. To Ratun, the girls his age were already wasted, having given their purity to some plebeian with a handsome face.

To add to her value, Myra had sworn a vow of chastity, so she was still as pure as a waterlily. He couldn't help but desire her. Hidden behind the bookshelf, she closed his eyes and smelled the air; despite being on the other side of the room, he could smell the warm chestnut scent of her black hair, the smell of fresh milk of her skin, and the smell of worn books that clung to both her and the room. Opening his eyes, he couldn't help but compare her image to that of a goddess. She sat by a large, round, window with stain glass roses around its' edge. She sat perfectly in the center and the roses framed her image. The setting sun bathed her in a warm, orange glow; giving her charcoal black hair an angelic halo. Her skin had a golden outline, her red lips were shined like she kissed rubies, her bosoms appeared soft like pillows stuffed with the softest pillows. Her features were so finely formed that she looked like a statue brought to life. She was his goddess.

Slowly, he dared to come out of hiding and quietly move closer to her; his feet were like light leaves on grass and her attention was deep within the book she was reading. Within a minute, he had crossed the room and stood behind the young princess, his spindly fingers clutching the back of Myra's chair and his sharp nails digging into red velvet that covered it. With his eyes half opened, he inhaled her scent and shuttered; she smelled so much better up close.

Myra's mind was torn from the story in her hands by the sudden chill that ran down her spine. A chill similar to one caused by a drafty window and Myra wondered if someone opened a window in her library. However, this was impossible, surely she would have noticed someone entering the room since the door was right behind her. Ratun didn't need the door, he knew of hidden servant corridors that lead to every room within the castle and he used one of those to enter the library. To the child, a sensation grew inside Myra's stomach, a sensation that like she wasn't alone. Shivering, she placed the book down and crossed her arms over her chest like she would protect herself against a bitter wind. She couldn't understand why she felt that way. Without moving her head, she shifted her eyes around the room. When her eyes reached the window was when she saw it; there was a movement behind her.

Immediately, she shot out of her seat and spun around to face her intruder. To her disgust, it was Ratun; he was the nephew of the Marquess of Ero, but to her, he was as gross as a fat spider. In a way, he was grosser because a spider can't help what he is. His posture was poor, with a distinct slouch like that of a rat sitting on hits hindquarters. His choppy white hair remained unwashed for days and lay upon his head like the strands of a mop. His skin was pale and course like cottage cheese and his face was marked with scars from some form of pox he suffered from as a child. His nose was sharp and long like bird's beak. His eyes were a pale brown like the color of driftwood, and they bulged out of his skull like those of a fish. However, Myra could have looked past all those things if it weren't for his personality. He was a suck-up and followed anyone that caught his attention like a shadow whether they wanted him to or not. He would breathe like a drowning man when she was near him and she always felt like he was trying to undress her with his eyes.

"Ratun, what are you doing here?" she asked with a shaking voice. Sure, she was princess and second in line for the throne, should it be necessary. Still, she knew he could never punish him. He was protected by two things; his aunt and Dante. Ratun was Dante's only friend and Dante clung to Ratun like a kitten in a thunderstorm. Myra couldn't take Dante's only friend from him the poor boy was sheltered enough as it was.

"Hiding from Dante." Cued Ratun and leaned a little closer, closed his eyes, and smelled the air where Myra had sat. "We are playing hide and seek; he is seeking, and I am hiding."

"Then why are you hiding in here and bothering me?" she hissed and snatched the book from where she had laid it down. "I was reading."

"I know." His voice was rough like cracked glass. "I wasn't bothering you until just now."

"How…how long have you been watching me?" she felt violated and clutched the book to her chest to keep him from looking at her bosoms.

"Not long…" he replied and opened his pale eyes to run them over her form again. "Not long at all." He knew he was untouchable to her and he knew she hated it; he loved it. He knew he could never touch her, but he could live with seeing her and smelling her from a distance. From a distance, she could forever be his pure princess.

"You are cheating at the game." Replied Myra. "You know Dante would never look in this library because he doesn't want to disturb me. Now leave before I have the guards remove you from this room."

"I haven't done anything." He cued again and smiled a crooked smile at her. "I have done absolutely nothing."

"I said leave." Myra hissed through her teeth.

"Why? Dante is seeking me, and I have to hide. This is the best hiding spot beside the east tower." Ratun tried his best attempt at a pleading stare.

"I don't care if the east tower is under construction." Replied Myra, disgusted at the sight of his bulging eyes. "No one is allowed in this library while I am in here studying."

"What were you studying?" Ratun asked and raised one of his barely visible eyebrows. He then tilted his head like a bird and stared at the little, brown book in the princess's finely formed hands. "Is it interesting?"

"It is the story of Metarmoor's creation," Myra replied flatly.

"Metarmoor's creation?" Ratun echoed, "Why would you want to read about that? It is all fairytales anyway."

"Well, Duchess Armana unearthed an ancient temple dedicated to the gods. It is the oldest building in all of Metarmoor."

"What does that have to do with the creation story." Ratun raised an eyebrow.

"The ancient temple was dedicated to Metarmoor's first gods. I thought I would refresh my memory on the stories that survived the test of time. There aren't many, which is a shame, they are simple yet creative."

"And all wrong." Added Ratun.

"That, they might be, but that isn't the point." Myra spat back. "The point is that the ancient people had a belief system strong enough that they dedicated years of work and planning for this building. Then they spent years worshipping the deities they placed inside that building. It is fascinating why they did it."

"Farmer's plant crops and thank the sun if their harvest ends out good." Countered Ratun. "It doesn't mean we should worship the sun."

"In the past we did. The sun goddess was named Solas and, according to the stories, she turned herself human so she could love and live with a human man."

"That would be one stupid goddess. Wouldn't it have been wiser to turn the man god and they could live together forever?" at this Myra could only shake her head.

"That isn't the point of the stories. Of course, they are all fictional, but they exist to explain how the world works and teach us important lessons."

"I don't see how the story of a deity giving up their powers to be with a common man can teach any worthwhile lessons." Muttered Ratun and narrowed his eyes at Myra, he didn't like how she read so much. "I still think they are stupid stories."

"Then I can't help you."

Thankfully, before Ratun could think of a response, the heavy oak door to the library opened with a protesting creak and Dante peeked in. His pale face rosy from running through the castle hallways and his amber-colored hair had partly come loose from his ponytail. Once he spotted his friend, his green eyes narrowed to an angry scowl. "Ratun, you filthy cheater. You know Myra's library is off-limits."

"I am sorry Dante, I wanted to win a round for once." Ratun made his voice sound shaky and nervous and Dante fell for it.

"Then you could have said so. I would have let you win if it meant so much to you." The look of anger changed to that of concern and Myra wished her cousin had a different friend. To her, Dante deserved better.

"I don't want you to hand me a victory." Replied Ratun and approached his friend, not once turning back to look at Myra even though he wanted to. "A victory only means something if you earned it. It means nothing if it is handed to you."

"Oh," Dante's shoulders hung low. "I didn't know that. Well, you did win this round. I have up half an hour ago. I was just trying to find you to propose a different game."

"You are just saying this so I would feel better." Replied Ratun and ushered the bother of them out of the library; leaving Myra alone and a little shaken. "Well, the game is over, what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know." Replied Dante and shook his head. "I didn't think that far." He then rubbed the back of his neck; he was nervous about the party in a few weeks. "Will you be at the party? If so, you need a gift for princess Elizabeth."

"I have a gift for the baby," Ratun noted how nervous his friend was. "Why are you so nervous about the party? You have been to birthday parties before."

"I know, but this is an important birthday. All major officials are invited including the King and Queen of Meridian."

"You have met the King of Meridian, why are you still so nervous?"

"I have only seen him, but I haven't spoken to the man. I was too nervous." He looked down at his shoes, too ashamed to admit that he had failed to properly introduce himself to the royal. "He did seem nice though."

"And what about the Queen? Is she as pretty as people say? I heard she has red hair." Asked Ratun and tried to imagine a woman in his mind with red hair. He had never seen a red-haired person before in his life and he was sure she was very pretty. Not as pretty as his goddess, but definitely worth a second glance.

"I don't know about Queen Wilhelmina. She wasn't at the meeting. Mother wondered why she wasn't there, but the King said she had other duties to attend to. I heard she is nice and smart though." Dante hoped that excuse was good enough to satisfy his friend.

"Did you at least get to see the princess?" Ratun's eyes were beginning to bug out again and he was picking at his nails, giving himself the resemblance of a rat holding something in its' claws.

"What princess?"

"Princess Elyon." Ratun was beginning to get impatient. "She is the sister of the King. Originally, she was supposed to be on the throne, but she rejected it. A very stupid move, if you ask me. I heard she has long blond hair and beautiful, sapphire-blue, eyes. I hope she will accompany the King and Queen when they come to visit. I would like to see her." In full honesty, he wanted to do a lot more than see her. He wanted to smell her and see if she was as pure as he hoped she was. He heard that she was raised away from Meridian, which made her twice as exotic as she already was.

"Sorry, I didn't see her either, but I also hope to meet her. I think she is a very distant cousin. Not by blood, but by family ties. It would be interesting to meet her." He then smiled at his friend. "Then you can ask her why she refused the throne."

"It wouldn't be polite." Hummed Ratun and Dante rolled his eyes.

"Well, we can't ask the King and Queen. Maybe Princess Elyon is like you and me and we can have a normal conversation. I heard she is around our ages." At this, Ratun rolled his eyes; there was a chance that Princess Elyon wasn't as pure as he wished. "And maybe she knows magic. Maybe her, Korinthia, and us can practice together if she visits."

"I hope she doesn't know magic." Responded Ratun. "There are enough people that can use magic, the world doesn't need more."

"I guess you have a point."

"Anyway." Ratun noticed this conversation was going nowhere. "How about a game of hopscotch?"

6\. Ruhn: The largest and longest river in Ero connecting it with Meridian, Morovia, Gia, and ending in the Uisce Sea.

XXXX

What do you think of the characters featured in this chapter?

Sorry that it took so long to post the chapters, I didn't have any internet connection.


	9. Chapter 9

In the morning, Will fought with herself; she was contemplating whether to go to Heatherfield and face Dean at school or stay in Meridian. It felt so easy and comfortable to stay in Meridian, especially since she woke up with an upset stomach after a difficult night of sleep. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she felt sick and gross, as if there was a thin film over her skin. So far, she didn't mind being pregnant, but the idea of being regularly sick for the next 8 months made her wish she had been a little more careful with her husband. Furthermore, though he tried to be careful, soft, and gentle with her he still managed to inflict a tiny bruise on the base of her neck. It wouldn't be the first time that she covered hickey her husband gave her, but it felt different today because of the fight she had with her mother. In a way, it felt like she was covering up her relationship and would validate her mother's words that her relationship was something sick and meant to be hidden.

"Snap out of it Will," she told her reflection in the mirror. "You love your husband and he loves you. You are expecting a baby soon. You can't let your mother's words get to you. She is just harsh because her first brush with love ended in disaster, it doesn't mean yours has to as well." With that, she applied a little make-up to the bruise to hide it from her friends, got dressed and covered her neck with a bright red scarf, and headed out of the bathroom where her journey to school was cut short when she ran into a firm chest and a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.

"You were sick again." It was her husband, usually, she welcomed his attempts to comfort her, but she felt too cranky to feel comfortable in his arms.

"Yeah, and I blame you for it." She muttered and closed her eyes; she wanted to stay in bed, but it would look bad to her mother. No doubt, Dean would report her absence to Susan.

"Wasn't it your idea to run out into the rain in an attempt to make me undress you?" he jokingly asked and referenced how she tried to seduce him three months into their marriage. It had failed, but he still reminded her of it whenever she tried to blame him for something. Will groaned in response and hung her head a little. "If you feel this awful, then why don't you stay in bed?"

"Last week you sent me to school despite the hell of a drive we had the day before, and now you suggest I stay here. Can you make up your mind where you want me to stay?"

"What will your mother and your friends say when you keep getting sick?" he had an odd way to show concern, but Will still entertained the thought of skipping a day; however, she quickly shook that thought away.

"I promised Dean that I won't miss any classes so we can visit Ero in peace. I had the plan to pretend to get sick during this week; so, everyone thinks I am staying home with the flue. If anything, looking like this will help with the act." She then tried to wriggle free from his embrace. "Let me go, I feel too gross to be held."

"You don't look gross to me." He then tightened his hold on her. "You don't feel gross either."

"My stomach is doing flips and my eyes feel like they have sand in them. So, I might not look gross, but I definitely feel that way." At this, he held her face in his hands and made her look at him.

"Are you certain you want to go to school? I can call for the physician to give you something for the nausea- "

"I'll be fine." Will sighed and took a few deep breaths to settle herself. "If things get worse, I'll be back early, but I must make it to History to prove to Dean I am trying to balance this life." She then tried to manage a smile. "You worry too much."

"You are my wife and the mother of my child, I have every right to be worried." He replied in a calm voice and weakly smiled back at her. Will gently patted the hand against her face, and he released her.

"Back at the cabin, you were worried that you wouldn't be a good father. So far, you are acing fatherhood." Then, despite her protests, he kissed her before she headed for school.

XXXXX

In the morning, Danny awoke with a stiff neck and a sore back; it wasn't easy to share a bed with Gwen. As careful as she could, Danny moved over her sister to reach the latter, luckily, Gwen only growled like an old dog and turned around. Upstairs, Danny found her sister Ella at the kitchen table with Janet, who was staring at a slice of leftover pizza as if it were a rock. With sleep still clinging to her voice, the young teen greeted her family. "Morning weirdos.

"Morning Danny." Replied Ella over the rim of her coffee cup and gestured her sister to come closer. "Have a seat, I have something to tell you."

Danny did as she was told after pouring herself a glass of milk. "I found a job at the local junkyard." Ella started a little uneasy. "It doesn't pay much, but it should put food on the table. With Mike's cleaning job and Roger's retirement checks, we should be able to live here, but it won't pay for anything you want. Mike is going to use your bike to get to work, so if you want a new one you'll have to get a job. Which won't be easy, considering I still need to teach you about the family business."

"Why can't Tony teach me?" Asked Danny, the milk was beginning to taste funny.

"He and Kevin are driving back to Canada tomorrow. Mike would teach you, but his job doesn't let out until late at night. My shifts let out at noon, so I'll be home shortly before you and Gwen do. Roger will take care of Janet and Jack while we are gone. I trust Jack, but not Janet." In response, as if understanding what Ella said, Janet huffed and returned to her place on the sofa; she didn't even touch her slice of pizza. Ella didn't care. "Sydney and Rodney are staying here they will move into the attic and they have the surveillance system pretty much established. The electric bill will eat a good chunk out of our earnings, but it is worth it with the five crawlers located here."

"Oh…" Danny had hoped her brother Tony would stay with them a little longer, but he naturally didn't. Unlike Ella, Tony was relaxed and saw life as an adventure where Ella saw it as an annoyance. "Well, I was planning on applying for a part-time position at the local pet-shop. Will told me that a position might open soon, and I like animals."

"As long as it is part-time, and you are able to keep up with your studies and your training. I am training you and not Gwen."

"Why not Gwen? She knows- "

"I know she knows, but I can't teach two at once. Not to mention she is much younger than you and a lot more emotional." Countered Ella and muttered into her coffee. "She breaks apart when she gets a stain on her new dresses, how do you think she will fair in a job as dirty and messy as ours?"

"Strongpoint." Replied Danny and grabbed the slice Janet left behind. Cold, Joe's tasted worse than warm, but it was food. "So, you won't mind if I get a job?"

"You'll have to if you want new things. Heatherfield is a little more expensive than the other places we have lived in the past. However, if it starts to interfere with your studies and training, I'll have you quite. GOT IT?" Danny nodded at her sister's conditions, they seemed like legitimate concerns. Still, Danny was a little surprised that Ella let her get a job; in the past, Ella had always refused this request. Perhaps, Heatherfield was a new start for all of them.

XXXX

That morning, Gwen felt less eager to get to Accounting, now that her new friend knew of her living conditions. Furthermore, her hair had tangled itself into a nest while during the night and she wasn't able to fully brush it out; Gwen was sure that her sister Danny had something to do with it, but she couldn't prove it. When the young girl saw her blond friend sitting near the front of the class, like she had the previous day, Gwen wondered how bad it would be if she skipped the class and camped out at the library. Just as she was about to turn around and leave the class, Elyon turned in her seat as if she had sensed her and gave her friend a welcoming wave. "Morning Gwendolyn."

Too late to hide, now she had to face her friend. Snapping around on her heel, she beamed the most forced smile at her friend that she could muster. "Morning Elyon. How are you this morning?"

"I am doing fine, how are you?' Elyon asked as Gwen sat down beside the young blond. Elyon could tell her friend was uncomfortable and wished she knew how to make her feel better. After an awkward moment of silence, the secret princess cleared her throat. "Gwen, sorry if I embarrassed you yesterday. I only wanted to wel- "

"I know and it isn't your fault. It was bound to come out some time." Gwen groaned and let her head fall to her desk. "Danny does this all the time. Why can't she be a normal sister?"

"Gwen, I don't mind your living situations. If anything, I want to help you where I can. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to let me know." Said Elyon and gently patted her friend on the back in a comforting way.

"Do you have a heater I can borrow? The heater in my room is busted and I had to share a bed with Danny to keep from freezing to death last night. I hate how cold Heatherfield gets in the Winter."

"I know how you feel." Sighed Elyon and gently patted her friend's back in sympathy. "It isn't always that bad. When there is snow, my parents take me to Earlston Hill just out of town for sledding."

"Sledding gets me cold." Muttered Gwen and rested her chin on her desk; a sour expression was set on her face as she stared ahead at an empty chalkboard.

"Well," Elyon felt a little slighted, "If the cold bothers you that much, you could stay over at my house until your heater is fixed."

Gwen shifted her gaze to her friend and raised a questioning eyebrow. "You just met me yesterday."

"Well, you are my friend." Countered Elyon.

"Your parents won't mind?"

"My parents are always glad to see me play with my friends. My mom always cooks too much, so you can come for dinner and stay the night. I swear my heaters work." Gwen looked up at her friend and thought it over for a second.

"I'll have to ask my sister Ella first, but I bet she'll say now. She always says no to things like that. I bet she does this sometimes just to punish me for existing." Groaned Gwen and sat up in her seat.

"You sound a bit like you are exaggerating. I bet she is just worried about you. You are her baby sister after all." Elyon tried to cheer up Gwen, but Gwen only shrugged and waited for class to begin.

XXXXX

So far, Will's day had been bearable. She still felt tired, cranky, disgusting, and her stomach was still doing flips like a gymnast. She felt so miserable that she could hardly focus on school and spend most of the day pretending to take notes and praying that the teachers didn't call on her. This plan went fine until History; there, her ability to control her misery deteriorated and she was breathing deeply to keep from throwing up again. She could taste the bitter gall in the back of her throat, feel her heart rate increase, and feel her mouth salivated; she wanted to excuse herself and return to Meridian, but she had to tough it out. Luckily, her friends hadn't noticed when she arrived that morning, but that was when she still had most of her strength, now she felt almost drained.

Of course, Dean noticed that Will wasn't fully paying attention to his lesson on Medieval Europe and he thought about calling her out to the class but stopped himself. He had told himself to keep the school and private life separate, but he could make one exception considering the argument from the previous evening. Plus, he could tell she wasn't feeling well as he could practically see her sweating in her seat. When the bell rang and the students began to shuffle out for lunch, he pulled her aside and loudly said. "Ms. Vandom, please stay after class for a minute."

Will inwardly groaned but did as he asked. She was sure that this was about the argument she had the previous evening with her mother. Keeping her eyes on the floor, she let him start the conversation. "Will, is everything alright? I could tell you weren't paying attention in class."

There was no way that she could tell the truth, so she had to tell a believable lie. Swallowing hard to suppress the sensation of pressure in her throat, she said. "I am feeling a little sick and I am still angry at mom. She promised she would let me go before I married Phobos. She said she would if it made me happy. I feel like she went back on her promise with me. She didn't even try to like him, she was against him since the start."

"Will, your mother is just worried about you. She was used to seeing you every day and now she can just see you in the evening." He then leaned closer and spoke in a low tone so no one would overhear. "Plus, she is worried that you might get hurt. You are her baby."

At those words, her heart stung, and she felt like running home to her mother. Now that she was becoming a mother herself, she started to understand the worries her mother had over her. Her baby wasn't born yet and Will worried about it. "Is there a way to make her stop worrying? I swear Phobos hasn't hurt me in any way. He is the sweetest man that I have ever come across and- "

"Will, I never said he hurt you. That is your mother's concern and there will be little you can do to change that. When you are a parent one day, you'll feel the same way." He then placed a hand on her forehead to check for a fever. "Let's hope you get better before you have to go to Ero."

"Eh…I hope so too." Replied Will nervously and then excused herself before rushing out of the class and to the nearest bathroom. In the bathroom, she checked under the stalls to see if she was alone before choosing one of the empty cubes and throwing up again. She was proud of herself to have kept it together this long but also felt sorry for the argument with her mother, and worried about keeping her pregnancy a secret. If she kept getting sick, her friends and family would soon find out and she didn't want it to be too soon. When she was sure her stomach was empty, Will leaned back against the locked cubical door and held her stomach whispering, "Please don't make this harder, little one. Let me keep you secret for just a little longer."

With shaking knees, Will got up, flushed out her mouth with water, and headed for lunch to face the rest of the day. She only hoped that she could keep her nausea at bay until school let out. At the lunch table the girls, with their new group member Danny, sat together and discussed the day's events.

"I can't believe Mr. Collins gave me a bad grade on my report." Whined Irma and looked over the fat, red, D- on her report on about General Patton.

"Irma, we tried to tell you not to base all your knowledge on the Patton movie. You had 3 weeks to look into that man's history and gather enough information on him." Replied Taranee and poked at her food with a spoon. It was another tofu dish her mother made, and it smelled like seaweed and bad salt.

"Besides," added Hay-Lyn. "You know he is teaching us about Medieval Europe right now, why are you skipping hundreds of years ahead?"

Irma groaned and let her back fall over the back of her chair like a wet towel. "All I could find about Medieval Europe had to deal with the black plague. Besides, if I wanted to learn about medieval times, I would just visit Will."

"We aren't that medieval," Will said in an annoyed tone and also poked at the school provided lunch. With the fuzzy feeling in her stomach, she didn't want to chance anything by eating the questionable food provided by the school. "The world is just different, and you know that."

"Geeze, no need to sound so snappy." Replied Irma and looked at her friend with concern. "What is the matter with you? You have been cranky and quiet all day."

"I argued with my mother yesterday." Muttered Will and kept her gaze down on the table.

"I think there is more than that." Said Hay-Lyn and reached across the table to touch her friend's forehead. "You are a little warm and sweaty. Are you coming down with something?"

Will knew she couldn't keep her secret much longer, but she hoped to string them along a little longer. "I haven't been feeling well since yesterday. I think something in Danny's new house got to me."

"I warned you guys about my place." Said Danny and smiled at her cousin with an I-told-you-so smile.

"You sure you ain't," Irma leaned a little closer and whispered so no one would hear. "pregnant?"

"Knock it off Irma!" Will felt like she was being driven into a corner and she hated that feeling. Furthermore, it was weird that her best friend, who had been gunning for Will to get married, to be so fixed on her to become a parent.

"Cool down Will, Irma is just pushing our buttons." Taranee tried to calm her friend, but Will wanted to sink into a hole and hide until the day was over. Luckily, the rest of the group wrote Irma off as a wacko not long after the group formed, so no one took her question too seriously. With a concerned smile, Taranee patted her friend's back. "Still, perhaps you should go to the nurse's station. You look awful."

"You are right." Muttered Will, feeling the bitter gall rising in the back of her throat. "See you guys later." Hay-Lyn got up to help her friend to the nurse's station. When she rose from her seat, Danny saw the boy called Matt sitting a few seats away staring at them. She was beginning to get annoyed, so she leaned closer to her Irma and asked.

"What is wrong with that boy?" Danny gestured to the boy with black hair and blue eyes. Irma looked up, saw Matt, and sank a little in her seat as Matt got up and left the cafeteria.

"That is Matt Olsen. He is Will's ex and he didn't take it well when Will chose to marry Phobos."

"Why is he so butthurt about that? Didn't you tell me he broke up with her?" Danny raised an eyebrow at Irma and Taranee interjected.

"He tried to get back together with Will a few days after the break-up and she refused."

"Not gonna lie, from what Irma told me, it was a weak reason why he dumped her, so I wouldn't take him back either." Danny shrugged and thought that Matt should get over it.

"Well, Matt also helped our friend, Caleb- "Danny interrupted Taranee before she could finish.

"I know the whole story, Irma told me all about the assassination attempt. I still think Matty-boy should get over it and find someone else to ogle. It is beginning to get creepy. Plus, he stares at me too and if he doesn't stop, I'll punch his lights out." With that, Danny crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. She was still going to apply for the position at the pet shop, she needed the money, and she would stand by her word that she would punch Matt if he didn't stop staring at her.

XXXXX

While the girls were having their conversation at the table, Hay-Lyn was guiding her friend Will through the halls of the school. Irma's question was bouncing through her mind over and over again and she dared to ask Will herself; perhaps, being a little more private would give her a different answer. "Will, are you sure you aren't pregnant? You can tell me anything and I promise not to tell anyone."

"I am not pregnant, why does everyone keep asking?" Will hissed through her teeth and angerly shook her head. She thought that, if she kept up the act, that they would eventually believe her.

"Will, I know you are hiding something. It isn't just a feeling; I know you are hiding something. Irma told me you got sick at the cabin and now you are sick again. Plus, your mood is just terrible." Hay-Lyn was determined to get her friend to tell the truth. Her ability to tell her friend's inner feelings was never wrong and she could tell that Will was suffering from inner turmoil.

"I got sick at the cabin from the food and now I caught a bug or something." Again, Hay-Lyn didn't buy her friend's story.

"Will, I can tell you are lying to me. Your story about getting sick at the cabin changed and you were fine the other day." She then stopped and grabbed Will's shoulders, so she had to face her. "Will, I hate to threaten this, but if I have to I'll go to the Oracle and ask what is wrong." Will's heart stopped in her chest and all color drained from her face. This was the end of the charades and she knew it. Biting back tears, Will lowered her head and clenched her fists; her throat felt as dry as a desert and her lower lip quivered.

"I am." Was all Will managed to choke out and Hay-Lyn's shoulders dropped a little. The realization that her best friend had kept such a big secret from her stung a little. She always thought they could tell each other everything, so why was this any different. It made her wonder if she kept this secret from others as well.

"Does he know?" Hay-Lyn asked in a soft tone.

"Of course, he does," Will sniffled a little as tears were beginning to run down her cheeks. She had been trying so hard to keep this a secret and now she felt like she had failed. "We wanted to keep it a secret for just a little longer."

"When were you planning to tell us? How long have you known?"

"Once I couldn't hide it any longer I guess. Back at the cabin, when Elyon and I went to the convenient store, I did a test. I panicked when it was positive and didn't tell anyone except my husband; he has been worried over me and it ever since." Will felt horrible about what she had done and wondered if her friends would ever trust her again if this information spread to the rest of the group. Trying to keep herself from fully falling apart, she looked at her friend in the eyes and hugged herself. "I didn't want Irma and my mother to freak out like they did when they found out about my engagement."

"I can understand that." Hay-Lyn managed a small smile and gave her friend a small hug. It still hurt that her friend had kept such a big secret, but she could understand why Will had chosen not to tell anyone. "I promise not to tell anyone."

"Thank you." A few more tears fell from her eyes and Will tightened her hug on her friend. "You have no idea what that means to me."

"I think I have a clue about it. When do you plan on telling your mother?"

"I do not know," Will muttered as she released her friend and hugged herself again. "Yesterday she called my marriage sick and she thinks it is crazy that I even thought about having kids with my husband."

"Wow, no wonder you wanted to keep it a secret from everyone. Though, I have to admit that Irma is reason enough. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to let me know." Will felt like crying all over again.

"Thanks, but right now I just need you to keep this secret a little." She then smiled at her friend, never feeling more grateful to count the little Asian as her close friend. "When did you get so mature?"

"You forget that my grandma is the best teacher ever. Though, if you are looking for a fix for your stomach, I heard ginger ale and salt crackers are supposed to help." Hay-Lyn giggled and took her friend's arm to continue their journey to the nurse's station. "anything else I can help you with?"

"Not really, but I could use something to keep my husband from having a worry-induced aneurysm."

"For that, I would recommend Irma's suggestion to hit him over the head with a cast-iron skillet."

XXXXX

When the bell rang, Danny didn't wait for her friends to gather in the hallways; she immediately dashed out the school gates and headed for Mr. Olsen's pet shop. Despite Matt Olsen being a bit of a creep, Danny knew she needed a job and the pet shop was the best place to start. Running from one busy street to the next, Danny retraced her memory to find the place; it had been years since she lived in Heatherfield, but she remembered seeing the shop in the past. Like a bloodhound following a scent, Danny followed her mental markers to find her way. On that corner was the tree as she knew it would be. On this block was the garden of an old woman; the woman no longer lived there, and the plants had changed, but the fence was the same. Past the drug store that is now a shoe store. Danny stopped to catch her breath when the window of the Pet Shop came into view and she was proud of herself that she managed to find the place; if Ella were there, she would be proud as well.

Gathering her wits, Danny casually walked through the shop's doors, which jingled when she did to alert the owner. Slowly, the elderly man walked out from the back and smiled at, what he thought, was a potential customer. "Well good afternoon, young man. What can I get for you today."

"I am a girl and I heard from a friend that a job opening might be available." Danny smiled and folded her hands on the counter in an attempt to appear the peak of manners. She didn't mind that the old man mistook her for a boy; this had happened to her in the past, even when her hair was long enough to reach her butt. Mr. Olsen gasped and stumbled over his own words in an attempt to apologize.

"I am sorry Miss. I didn't mean to be rude." He then took off his glasses and cleaned them on his sweater to push the blame onto poor eyesight. "Uh, yes there is an opening, but I haven't placed it in the papers yet; how do you know of the position?"

"My friend Will used to work here."

"Ah yes, Will. She was a good worker; a little clumsy, but I could forgive that. It is a shame my grandson broke-up with her, but C'et la vie." He then reached under the counter and pulled out an application form and a pen for the girl standing before him. While Danny busied herself with filling out the one-page form, Mr. Olsen couldn't help but ask. "Why would you want to work here? Surely a young thing like you has a life after school."

"My family just moved here from Canada and we need the money. Except for household chores, I don't have a life after school."

"This is a demanding job. The dogfood bags can reach up to 20 pounds and those are in high demand lately. I don't want you to get yourself hurt here."

"I know to lift with my knees and not my back." Retorted Danny and handed the man the filled out forme. Mr. Olsen took it and gave it a quick lookover before returning his gaze to the teen standing before him.

"You aren't just getting this job to be close to my grandson? I know that is why Will worked here. I am just asking because I can't afford a high employee turnover rate in this town."

"Oh no," replied Danny and smiled to reassure the old man. "I just got here, and I am not looking for a relationship." She then blushed a little, realizing that she might have just insulted the old man. "Don't get me wrong; Matt sounds alright, but I can't afford to start anything with anyone."

The old man laughed at the girl's embarrassment and gently patted her shoulder. "You kids these days." Then he cleared his throat to return to business. "I'll give you a call by the end of the week to inform you whether you got the job or not. I would give it to you now, but I want others to get a chance to apply as well."

Danny understood and thanked the old man before rushing out the door where she nearly crashed into the black-haired, blue-eyed, boy that had been creeping on her since she arrived at the Sheffield Institute. He was wearing a worn jeans and flees hoody and a guitar was strapped to his shoulders. This made Danny groan a little on the inside; though she enjoyed people playing their guitar, there was no need to carry such an instrument around everywhere. To her, such actions only served to brag. Furthermore, she was still annoyed by him and now, this close to him, he was staring at her again; it was like a pesky fly that won't leave. In an attempt to sound menacing, she lowered her voice and growled through her teeth. "Move."

Matt backed away a bit from the boy in front of him and Danny rushed past him in a huff. He wondered why he kept running into this calico-eyes boy that, he heard, was called Danny. Furthermore, he wondered why the girls were so accepting of him after just meeting him. Annoyed, and a little angry at Danny's attitude; he walked into his grandfather's shop and saw him reviewing a job application. "Grandpa' who was that?"

"Someone willing to take Will's place at the shop." Replied Mr. Olsen, never looking up from the application. "I am considering hiring them."

"No, gramps. I am sure Will is gonna come ba- "

"Matt, we both know she is not coming back to work here." Mr. Olsen looked up from the application at his grandson. He knew Matt had tried to patch things up with Will, but also knew that didn't work. "I know you miss her, but you were the one to break up with her and she is respecting your initial decision. You can't keep clinging to the idea that she is going to come back."

"But gramps.' Again Mr. Olsen didn't let his grandson finish.

"Matt, I need help at the store, and you can't do everything on your own. Now, don't argue with me about this; if no one is interested by Friday, I am hiring them. At least they know not to use their back when lifting heavy items."

Matt dropped his shoulders and nodded, once his grandfather had made up his mind there was no use trying to change it.


	10. Chapter 10

Will couldn't be more relieved when the bell rang at the end of the day; now she only had to endure another hour or two before she could return to Meridian and hide in bed. Unfortunately, Irma insisted on keeping her promise to Danny and visit to properly welcoming her to Heatherfield. Secretly, Will hoped that Irma didn't have a full party planned; she wasn't sure her stomach would handle it. As expected, when Will reached the lockers, her friends were waiting for her and, as promised, Hay-Lyn hadn't spoken a word about their secret. Irma was leaning against the lockers with a slightly sour expression. Taking a deep breath and swallowing the gall rising in the back of her throat, Will approached the group. "Hey, guys. Irma, why do you look so down?"

"I ate a bunch of lemons." Muttered Irma and kept her eyes on the floor. Luckily, Taranee was there to explain with a tired sigh.

"Irma's cousin ran out the minute the bell rang. Irma wanted to walk Danny home, so that is why she has such a sour look."

"Hey, cheer up Irma." Said Hay-Lyn with a small smile and gave her friend a playful nudge. "You and Danny aren't attacked at the hip. Besides, you'll see you later and tomorrow at school."

"I wish there was a way to attack myself at the hip to Danny." Replied Irma with a small smile as her demeanor beginning to lift. "Admit it guys, we are practically the same anyway."

"Not quite." Replied Taranee and playfully jabbed her friend in the side with her elbow. "Danny still has all her marbles together. You don't."

As the girls exited the building, Will took a lungful of the chilled outside air in the hopes to settle her cooking insides. The air tasted fresh like cold water with a hint of dead leaves. Still weak from getting sick earlier Will walked slowly, falling a few feet behind her friends. Hay-Lyn noticed this and slowed her pace a bit to walk beside her red-haired friend, while Taranee and Irma walked ahead. In a quiet voice, the air-witch asked.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, just questioning what I got myself into and hoping I don't spill my guts before getting back to Meridian." Replied Will with a smile and quickened her steps to keep you with her friends. Soon, the girls arrived at the shabby house that Danny and her family called their new home; now, with some paint of the door and the porch swing straightened, it appeared a little less run-down. If anything, with fresh snow beginning to fall, the frosty windowpanes, and warm light shining through them the house appeared very inviting. Irma, with fresh found energy, rushed ahead of her friends, jumped the three steps to the property, and fiercely knocked on the old door.

Before the rest of the group could reach the front door, Ella opened it with an annoyed glare in her eyes; she didn't look any better than the previous day despite having had a shower and a proper bed to sleep in. She was going to be late for work and needed Danny to watch Jack since Roger had wandered off. With a tired sigh, she asked. "What do you want, Irma?"

"We just wanted to properly welcome Danny to Heatherfield, since we didn't get the chance yesterday." Replied Irma with an oblivious smile directed at her cousin.

"Danny hasn't shown-up yet. I think she is getting a job at that pet shop she mentioned earlier right now. However, I could use you for a while until Danny gets her butt here. I can't leave Jack alone or Gwen when she shows up." Just as Ella was opening the door to let the group in, Gwen and Elyon came running down the sidewalk as if the devil was after them; nearly knocking Ella over as the two girls rushed in. In the distance Ella saw her little sister Danny at the end of the block, but before Ella could open her mouth to shout at the calico-eyed girl. Gwen pipped up.

"I am going to stay over at Elyon's place tonight." Before Gwen could walk down the hall to get a few of her things from her room, Ella grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

"Hold it, what do you mean you are staying the night at Elyon's?"

"I am not staying another night in a room without a working heater and I am not staying another night in Danny's room. Elyon is letting me stay at her place until Tony can get my room fixed." Gwen shot back and tried to shake her shoulder free from her sister's grasp.

"You can't stay at Elyon's place. Danny needs you to stay here and look after Jack and Janet. You can't expect that idiot to look after a baby and a crawler on her own. Not to mention someone needs to look after the computer twins when they finally return from their excursion." Responded Ella and crossed her arms over her chest. Gwen, in response, crossed her arms and stomped her foot.

"I wanna go and you can't stop me!"

While the siblings argued, Will glanced around the room and noticed how Janet wasn't in her human form. Instead, the crawler laid spread out on the worn sofa in her monster form lightly dozing. Her bulbous, milky eyes and leather-like ears only opening and twitching when Gwen stomped her foot; no force on Earth could make that thing move. Jack was on top of Janet, lightly bouncing on his butt; Will was glad that Janet seemed to like kids, as the thing could have swallowed the child whole. Luckily, Danny quickly reached the door and stepped between Ella and Gwen. "Wow hold the horses. What is going on and what did I miss?"

"Elyon said I can stay over at her place, but Ella isn't letting me!" whined Gwen and stomped her foot again. Her high-pitched voice began to irritate everyone's ears and even Janet lifted her head to glare at Gwen, annoyed that her nap was being interrupted. Danny noticed the crawler growing annoyed, rolled her eyes, and let out a tired sigh.

"Fine, then go." Danny waved her hands at her little sister as if Gwen were a pesky fly. Ella stood behind Danny, mouth agape, while Gwen was bouncing in place with an excited grin on her face.

"You mean it?"

"Yes, now go. I don't want to see your ugly mug here until tomorrow." Gwen shrieked with joy before racing to her room, slamming the door shut hard enough to shake the walls. Once Gwen was out of sight, Ella spun her sister, Danny, around to face her.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" Ella snapped at Danny, but Danny didn't flinch. On the other hand, Elyon did; she felt horrible for the family drama she caused in an attempt to be a good friend. Out of instinct, Elyon hurried over to her friends, who crowded around her like a shield. "Did you hear when I said that I need her here?"

"Nope, I didn't, and I don't need that li'le gremlin here. I can watch over Jack, Janet, and the twins myself just fine." Replied Danny with a smirk. "Plus, I ain't sleepin' another night in the same bed with that brat. I am sure she bit me last night."

"You can't look after a baby, a crawler, and two autistic twins on your own!" Ella snapped back at Danny, but the young teen wouldn't budge.

"I have been doing just fine for years, what's another day?"

While the group was distracted by the new pare of arguing siblings, Will took advantage of the commotion and pulled the invitation from Ero out of her jeans pocket. In a quiet voice, Will whispered, "Elyon, your brother is extending the invitation to include you as well. It is your cousin's first birthday and she is the princess of Ero. He thought it would be a wise idea that you were introduced to your extended family."

Surprised, Elyon switched between looking at the letter and staring at her sister-in-law; she couldn't believe her ears. Did her brother really want her to attend a birthday party from a cousin she never heard of? Furthermore, was it truly her brother's intentions that she was introduced to her extended family? Sure, her brother had changed since getting married to Will, but she still remembered the man that kept her locked away in the castle and convinced her that her friends were her enemies. She could easily believe that Will extended the invitation, but had trouble believing that her brother would do such a thing. Then again, he was trying to change; perhaps this was an attempt. As she held the letter in her hands, the thoughts she had the previous day returned to her mind and she kept second-guessing herself about her brother and his motives. Unfortunately, before she could ask Will if this was true, Gwen came racing down the hall with a fully packed duffle-bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Alright," Gwen quipped and grabbed hold of Elyon's gloved hand, practically dragging Elyon behind her as she went to the door. "Let's go before Ella can dream of a reason to make me stay." Elyon looked over her shoulder, now no longer sure that she wanted Gwen to stay over. The young girl's bag looked like it was packed for a month and not a night. Unfortunately, Elyon couldn't escape Gwen's grip and the girl was strong enough to drag the young Princess behind her like a doll. Within a minute, they were out the door and on their way. Ella didn't stop arguing until the kitchen clock chimed 4:00 in the evening. Growing pale, Ella flung her arms as if she were throwing the argument with Danny into a dumpster.

"I don't have time for this shit. You think you can handle this house, then have at it!" Ella hissed through her teeth and rushed out the door, making sure to slam it shut behind her. This made Janet pop her head up and gruff like a tired guard dog. For a moment, it sounded like the crawler cursed under its' breath, but it probably wasn't. Danny, without skipping a beat, turned to face her friends.

"So, what the heck are you guys doing here?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Irma wanted us to properly welcome you to Heatherfield." Replied Taranee before Irma had the chance to open her mouth.

"Irms, why the fuck do you think I need a welcome committee to a place I, not only lived in before but also was born in?" at this, Irma had nothing to say so Danny simply shook her head. Taranee, finally noticing how Janet was lounging on the sofa remembered how the thing loomed over her at the cabin to get her glasses.

"Umm, is Janet going to stay in that form all day?"

Danny looked to Janet and then back to Taranee. "Yup, everyone in the family knows about Janet and I am not going to force her into a form she isn't comfortable in. Crawlers only camouflage when needed and it takes a lot of energy out of them."

"Wait, Janet only stayed in her human form when needed?" asked Hay-Lyn, remembering the story Sheela had told them.

"Mostly," replied Danny, rubbing the back of her neck as she was trying to figure out why Janet had stayed in human for generations. "I guess Janet stayed in human forms after it ate the real Janet to stay alive. The family would have never aimed a gun at their little sister. Quite frankly, I might be the first one in the family that isn't bothered by her crawler form. According to the book, it takes a lot of energy for crawlers to change their form, which is why they usually use an ambush tactic."

"Aw, poor Janet." Despite having been terrified by the crawler, Taranee couldn't help but feel sorry for the creature and how it was forced into hiding just to survive.

"Yeah, poor Janet. But why does she still smell of rotting fruit?" asked Irma, pinching her nose shut and that is when the group noticed the faint reek of decay. They hadn't noticed it when they first entered the house, as the place still reeked of Mike's chemical cleaning bomb, but now that their noses had become mute to the smell of Lysol, the rotting stench was there; it was faint, but clearly there.

"Well, it is their natural pheromone." Danny casually replied and went to pick Jack up from Janet's back. "They use it to mark their territory and attract a mate during mating season." With that, she handed her little brother to Will to hold before entering the open kitchen, still lecturing the group about the crawlers. "Dogs and cats are similar. They have pheromones that we simply can't smell 'cause we domesticated them to the point we can't smell it anymore."

While Danny's lecture, Will couldn't help but stare at the little human in her arms. This was the first time she held a human baby and she was both elated and nervous; elated by the warm feeling of the little human against her hip and the prospect of soon holding her own baby in the same way; nervous because it was her first time holding an infant and she worried she might hurt him. Luckily, the group was too fixated on Danny's lecture to notice Will practicing motherhood. Danny returned from the kitchen with a Dollar Store bottle of honey and, with a mischievous smile on her face, she took the moment of surprise to squirt a small amount of the amber liquid onto her cousin's face. For a moment, Irma stood in place, perplexed by her cousin's actions.

"Is this some form of prank?" Irma asked with a raised eyebrow, but Danny only smiled at her cousin, knowing what is in store for Irma. Unlike the other, who had their attention on Danny, Will's attention was torn from the infant against her hip to the crawler on the sofa, which raised its' head and sniffed the air, its' nostrils flaring like those of a wild horse. Slowly and quietly, the crawler slinked from the sofa and onto the ground, its's spindly limbs reminding Will of a spider crawling towards its' prey. As thick saliva dripped from the crawler's maw, Will opened her mouth in an attempt to alert her friends, but all sound was choked as the memory of the crawler from the woods came rushing back into Will's memory. Slowly, the crawler approached Will's friend and rose to its' full 7ft height, easily towering over Irma's petite frame.

Irma, finally realizing something standing behind her, turned and choked out a gasped cry as the thing wrapped its' yellow claws around her shoulders, picking her off the ground and closer to its' jagged maw. Slowly, its' long, milky tongue slipping through its' teeth and sliding across Irma's face, lapping up the honey from Irma's cheek. That was when Danny burst out laughing. "Crawlers love honey, Irms."

The sensation of a rubbery sponge, mixed with a cat's tongue, the slime-like saliva clinging to her cheek, and the smell of rotting fruit made Irma gag. She tried to push herself free from the crawler's grip, but nothing worked. Hay-Lyn and Taranee, who had been stunned by the crawler's sudden appearance behind them, shifted from fright to hysterical laughter as their friend flailed and kicked like a fussy child being held by their parent.

"Make her stop licking me!" cried Irma as she shifted her face away from Janet's lapping tongue, but that was no use, Janet's tongue was long enough to reach around Irma's face to reach the sweet cheek. "STOP WITH THE LICKY-LICKY!

"Do crawlers really like honey or is it just Janet?" asked Taranee finally catching her breath.

"Oh, crawlers go nuts for honey. It is worse then bears. They mostly eat meat and occasionally roots, but when they sniff out honey, no bees in the world can stop them." Replied Danny, enjoying the spectacle as Janet has shifted her attention from the now honey free cheek to Irma's ear.

"SHE IS LICKING MY EAR! Get her off before she licks out my brain!"

"Alright, hey Janet!" The crawler shifted its' attention from Irma to Danny and Danny lifted the small bottle of honey, holding it only a few inches from Janet's nose. On cue, Janet dropped Irma and wrapped her tongue around the coveted bottle; gently taking it from Danny's hand. Once the crawler was distracted, Irma jumped to her feet and rushed into the kitchen sink to scrub the saliva off her face. Janet returned to the sofa, holding the bottle in its' claws like a dog holding its' favorite chew-toy. From the kitchen sink, Irma cried.

"Why did you have her do that?"

"'cause you deserved it." Quipped Danny and took her little brother from Will's hip. "Now, thanks for comin', but I gotta give this little crawler," she gestured to her little brother. "a bath and then get him to bed. If I don't, he is going to turn into a crab and Ella will skin me alive."

"You don't have to tell us twice." Replied Hay-Lyn and took Will by the arm as the group began to shuffle out. Taranee took hold of Irma, who was still clawing at the sticky saliva on her face and began to usher her to the room.

"I'll get you for this Danny!" Irma cried in revenge as she was being pulled to the door.

"Oh, I'm shiverin' in my boots!" Danny called back jokingly and closed the door behind them, she knew that, no matter what Irma could throw at her, that she could take it. Outside, Irma was still frantically picking at the remaining crawler spit on her face; it was stickier than superglue and smelled awful.

"Guys, you gotta help me get back at Danny for this. I mean superglue, permanent-marker ink, and glitter for what she did." Her friends only looked at Irma as if she were overreacting.

"Irma, it is just a little spit, just take a shower and relax. Besides, you had it coming." Replied Hay-Lyn and gently patted her friend's shoulder.

"No, this was too far. I have to make her feel the pain. Hay-Ly, I need you to get all the glitter you can get your hands on. Taranee, you get the ink and make sure it is permanent. Will- "Seeing her time to slip away, Will decided to excuse herself from the group, her stomach was still twisting in knots and she was feeling exhausted from trying to hold back the urge to throw-up.

"I'd love to stay and help with the revenge plan, but I had an argument with my mother the previous day and I need to see how she is doing. Plus, I still have work in Meridian that needs my attention." Irma visibly deflated and frowned at the cracked pavement below her feet.

"Fine, we'll see you tomorrow. I need time to plan my revenge anyway." Was her muttered response. Will smiled and hugged her friend tightly before leaving. However, instead of taking the street that led to her old home, she went straight to the bookstore where the portal was. Will was still angry with her mother and didn't think she could hold back her exhaustion around Susan; she would eventually talk things out with her mother, but she couldn't right now. Right now, she needed a hot bath, something light for her stomach, a bed with a soft pillow, and her husband's soothing voice. However, to her surprise, when she entered their bedroom, she found her husband sitting on the bedroom sofa with a worried expression on his face and an opened letter in his hand. "Phobos, is everything alright?"

"I don't know." Was his reply and he looked up at Will, unsure how to explain the situation to her. "King Royan of Gia wants to visit tomorrow evening. This would be the first time that he would visit Meridian. He never leaves his kingdom, not even when invited, so I have no idea what to think."

"Well, what does the letter say?" asked Will as she sat by her husband.

"It only says when he is coming and that he wants to speak to both of us. Again, this has never happened, not even when my parents invited him to Meridian when they discovered my mother's second pregnancy. I see no reason why he would visit now." Again, he unfolded the letter and read it over, but there was no reason why he would visit. "I am just a little worried about why he is visiting. Meridian and Gia aren't allies, but we aren't enemies either. We trade and usually keep out of each other's way; if he wasn't to discuss trade negotiations, then he could send a representative."

"Well, maybe it is just a friendly visit?" suggested Will, but Phobos only shook his head.

"Royan doesn't visit other Kingdoms. I heard he used to visit Ero because his nephew married Queen Seras, but since the death of his son, he has become a hermit. I would understand if he visited Ero, but not Meridian. We aren't related and trade is minimal, so I see no feasible reason why Royal would appear in person."

"Relax," said Will and gently hugged her husband's arm. "I am sure, if it was something urgent, that he would have mentioned it in the letter. We will see him tomorrow and see what he has to say." Her optimism lifted the King's mood and he gently kissed the top of her head. In a way, Will was right; war declarations did not require physical visitations and King Royan was allowed to do as he pleased as his old age. All they could do was wait and see what Royan wanted.

Author's Note:

I am so sorry for the late post and that this one is below my usual quality. I am going through some mental blocks right now and don't know what to do. I have a plan where this story is supposed to go, but I don't know how to get there. There are at least three more chapters before the rising action of the story. I am trying to get all the characters out in the open by then without the cliché group meeting.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Mature Warning!**_

_**Contend not meant for young or sensitive readers!**_

While the Meridian Royal Family prepared for the visit of King Royan, Armana, her son, and her servant Ionah were in a carriage strung by 4 Wind Stallions; they were on their way to Morovia to fulfill the contract with King Orlan. While Dante peacefully slept, Armana's demeanor became sourer the closer they got to Orlan's Kingdom. She knew all she had to do was spend one night in Morovia, but she knew that Orlan would demand she spent the night with him and the thought of his hands on her body sickened her.

"I still can't believe I let you talk me into this." Armana hissed and gave Ionah a hateful glare. "You know that he is going to try and defile me, right?"

"It is all part of the plan, Armana. A plan that, may I remind you, you came up with. You are a beautiful, young, and mature woman; with the existence of your son," Ionah gestured to the sleeping boy, "you will not be seen as a threat. It all fits together perfectly."

Armana sighed and leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed and her arms crossed. She knew of the plan and all the intricate parts to it, this was a major hurdle and, once it was crossed, there was little that stood in her way. Morovia held important holdings and materials that were required. Furthermore, King Orlan was young and manipulatable. It all seemed so perfect. Still, she had doubts; what if Orlan wasn't as gullible as she thought?

"What if he catches wind of our plan?"

"How would he? He is barely a man and is driven by hormones. It is all obvious when you consider his engagement to Princess Flùr of Claudan. All you have to do is smile, speak softly, and flame the embers of his ego. I have been around enough men to know that is all that is needed to have them melt in your hands." Answered Ionah, her eyes reflecting the calm serenity within her. When she saw that her words didn't change Armana's mood, Ionah calmly smiled. "Armana, this is a ruthless world, if you want what you wish for you must take it and hold onto the most certain path with tooth and nail."

"You speak like you have experience." Replied Armana and gave her new servant a questioning look. She knew little to nothing about the magenta-eyed, horned woman that appeared in her study on a dark night. In response, Ionah only smiled.

"I have made many plans in the past and most went just the way I wanted."

"And the ones that didn't?"

"I have no idea; I didn't stay for the consequences. Quite frankly, my past is none of your concern. I am here to aid you in obtaining your goal. Your goal is to obtain enough power to rule over Ero the way you see fit, this is just a tool to obtain your goal. With Orlan out of your way, there will be little to stop you." Ionah justified and it seemed to please Armana, but there was still the problem of Meridian.

"What did you have planned about Meridian and their King and Queen?"

"They don't have children yet and Princess Elyon wasn't raised in Meridian. All we have to do is get the Queen and King out of our way and Meridian will no longer be an issue." Ionah casually shrugged her shoulder, but Armana wasn't convinced.

"I heard the Queen is one of those guardians sent from Kandrakar. I heard there are five of them."

"She was a guardian. However, there are only 4 of them and, since the marriage, they haven't been active. Besides, without the Queen, the other's won't be able to transform into their guardian form, so our main concern is the Queen and the King. However, they won't know what is awaiting them, all they know is that they are attending a party for your grandniece. With the King out of the way, the Queen will be too heartbroken to call upon her friends to be much of a threat. Your biggest hurdle will be this meeting with King Orlan. Are you willing to risk everything, simply because you can't stand the boy?"

At this, Armana only glared at her servant; this glare would intimidate most around her and always worked on her son, but it didn't work on Ionah. Ionah kept her calm smile and occasionally glanced out the carriage window to see how far they were from Morovia. After a while of silence, Armana sighed and relaxed a little. She knew this was her plan and that Ionah only accompanied her for support, but it still bothered her that she needed this. It reminded of how her brother would belittle her when they were younger. Unlike Meridian, in Ero, all focus of the family went to the firstborn male. This was another thorn in Armana's side. She was older than her brother by five years, but it was Pagan that got to become a ruler while she was left with no one in high enough standing to marry. If it hadn't been for her brother, she would have been married off to some duke in Zun. If it hadn't been for her brother's mercy, she would have been forced to marry the man that fathered Dante; a man that she hated from the moment she met him. A man she only slept with because of his family's status and the hopes of leaving her sister-in-law's castle; however, when she became pregnant with Dante, she had the man arrested for assault and executed. Surely, if she was capable of this, she would be capable of doing the same with Orlan. "I know it is my plan and I know I must go through this, but I still can't stand the idea of his hands on my flesh."

"Just think of a place far away when he leads you to his bed. When his hands run over your body, this of it as a light breeze on a sunny afternoon. When he takes you, think of a man you wish to be with. Your body and mind must be in separate places on that night and you must keep them separate. Simply think of your end goal and it will ease any pain you might feel." Ionah's voice was hushed and soft like a mother comforting a frightened child. In a way, she saw part of herself in Armana. Many times, in her life, she had been nervous over the things she had to do to survive, but each act she committed brought her closer to her goal; she would be dammed if Armana's nerves ruined everything she had spent years of working towards. She would be dammed if all her blood, sweat, tears, and pain would amount to nothing now.

"I will keep your advice in mind, but I will not be thinking of a gentle breeze when he touches me. I will be thinking of a slug crawling across my skin. When he takes me, I will think of thorns entering my body and tearing me up from the inside out. Tonight, I will feel no pleasure. All I will think of is my goal and I will use this to obtain my goal." Replied Armana and groaned silently as the castle came into view. On foot, Morovia was over a day away, but with the wind stallions, it was less than 2 hours away. She wished Morovia was further away, however, they weren't. Before Ionah could respond, they arrived at the gates of the castle. With a groan, she smacked her son awake. "Wake-up Dante, we are here."

Dante was started; he had been in a dream where he, Myra, and Korinthia were having a party in the gardens of Ero's castle so this mother's smack was a rude awakening. He still wasn't sure why he had been dragged along to fulfill his mother's contract. He didn't even know what a Céile Siombalach was; all he knew that that, after a quick dinner, his mother forced him into this carriage and off they were to Morovia. With a silent groan, Dante rubbed the spot on his head that his mother had smacked him on and straightened his posture as the door of the carriage opened and a servant illuminated by a single lantern greeted them.

"Welcome to Morovia, your highness, we hope your stay here is as pleasurable as possible. Our king is awaiting your presence." Said the servant and for Armana to leave the carriage. She did without taking the hand of the servant as an aid. Without a word, she let the servant lead her to the throne room as Ionah and Dante followed. Her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only; Orlan. No matter what the servant said to welcome her to Morovia, her mind didn't listen, and her body didn't utter a word. She followed Ionah's advice and imagine being somewhere else; her mind was at the beach where she let her feet sink into the sand as the water lapped at her toes. This was to her advantage, the servant didn't expect her to reply to his greetings, he knew he was only there for humbug and he followed that role to the letter.

Soon, Armana found herself in the Morovian throne room where Orlan was waiting, sitting on his throne with Flùr sitting on his lap. The throne room, itself, was dull to the eyes. The walls were a dark gray with the curtains a dark maroon color. The only thing illuminating the room were a few candles; which gave the room a cold and unwelcoming aura. The Claudan Princess appeared tired and Armana knew, the moment she saw her, that the young Princess was only there so Orlan could parade her in front of Armana. Flùr was young and beautiful; with long honey-colored hair and ample bosom. Where Armana's began to sag with age, Flùr's held their shape. Where Flùr's hair shone with youth, Armana's began to show signs of becoming grey. In a way, Armana had to compliment Orlan for finding a young beauty such as Flùr. Furthermore, Flùr was the only splash of bright colors in this dark room as she was dressed in a beautiful crème-colored gown that could have been mistaken for a nightgown. However, that was there Armana's mental compliments ended. The King himself wasn't much to look at; he was tall for his age, pale-skinned, dark-haired, and blue-eyed. To Armana, King Orlan was a disappointment; she had seen better appearances from a common farm-boy. All this boy had, to his name, was that he was King over a land that was larger than her's.

"Ah, Duchess Armana of Ero. Great that you have chosen to visit; Flùr and I have been patiently awaiting your arrival, haven't we Flùr?" Orlan asked with a grin that showed his slightly crooked teeth and gently nudged the Princess in his lap awake, as she had been dozing from a long day. The moment her olive-colored eyes opened and fell upon their guests, she offered then a soft smile.

"Yes, we welcome you to Morovia and hope your stay here will be up to your standards." Her voice was soft and warm like honey, but Orlan frowned at her greeting and slightly tightened his grip on her hip. To him, there was no need to cater to Armana's every whim; here she was a nobody.

"Flùr, my dear, I see that Armana is accompanied by her son and a servant, why don't you show them to a room and give them some company while the Duchess and I finalize the specifics of our contract." As he said this, he let his eyes roam over Armana's form and Armana stifled a shudder of disgust. She knew what he was thinking and why he was thinking about it. Reluctantly, as she had been up for hours, Flùr pried herself off of Orlan's lap and approached her guests. As she had never left her kingdom, Flùr was unsure if she was the one, who was supposed to entertain their guests while her fiancé was in a meeting with the Duchess, or if she was supposed to request a servant. Nonetheless, Flùr tried her best and lead the two extra guests to an adjacent room from the throne room.

This room was just as bland as the throne room, but Neither Dante nor Ionah spoke a word about it as the young Princess lead them to a dark, cherry wood table. Once the guests were seated, Flùr requested a nearby servant to fetch them some tea while they waited for the meeting to finish. "I am sorry I can't provide the two of you with more. I wasn't sure when you would arrive, and I hadn't expected anyone other than the Duchess to appear."

"We understand, your grace. We accompanied the Duchess on her request. She was a little nervous about this meeting with King Orlan. After all, it has been years since someone acted as a Céile Siombalach." Replied Ionah and offered the young Princess one of her gentle smiles.

"Speaking of, what exactly is a Céile Siombalach? Orlan hasn't explained it to me."

As they waited, Ionah couldn't help but think how naïve the young Princess was. "A Céile Siombalach is a form of secondary wife that exists only on paper. You have nothing to worry about, maighdean bheag, your fiancé isn't going to leave you for her and he isn't going to become unfaithful. This is simply to cease the tensions between your kingdoms."

This seemed to put the young Princess's nerves at ease and, quietly, the three sat together as tea was served.

Back in the throne room, King Orlan got from his seat and approached the Duchess; to him, she was a nice sight from afar and very alluring up close. It was a shame that she was already ruined by having a child from another man and that she wasn't in a high enough social standing, otherwise, he would have considered proposing to her. Casually, he reached out and curled his finger around a strand of her long, black hair; it felt like silk. He was certain that, if she were a mare, he would have bought her on the spot. Armana knew this and did as Ionah suggested; when he touched her hair, she thought about her hair getting caught in a branch. She knew what he was thinking and tried to keep her mind anywhere but here. With a grin, he asked. "So, Duchess Armana, what are you willing to do to stop the tensions between our kingdoms?"

"I have agreed to this contract for my kingdom. Doesn't that show the amount of commitment I am willing to go through for my home?" she replied bluntly. This made Orlan smile even more and he roughly grabbed her by her arms and pulled her closer; despite only being 15, he towered over her. Armana didn't struggle against it and let her body fall against his; the sensation of her bosom pressing against his chest sent an excited surge through his body. Here was this beautiful, strong-minded, and proud woman willing to do anything to please him and the thoughts of what he would do with her filled his mind.

He knew it would have been proper to lead her to a move private room, but he didn't want to wait. He had already pushed away all the female servants once he got engaged to Flùr, but she was very reluctant to be intimate before marriage. He had pent-up urges and here was a way to release them. Hungerly, he ran his tongue along the length of her neck; her skin tasted of honey and rose petals. As Armana had expected, she imagined a slug crawling over her skin; however, she didn't resist or object. She didn't say a word when he reached down and roughly grabbed her buttock. She didn't object when he forced her onto the cold stone of the throne room floor; she forced her body to become numb to this man's touch. Her body was limp when he undid the lacy ribbons holding together the top of her dress to reveal her breasts. The only thing she uttered so far was a small hiss when she felt his teeth sink into her right breast like it was a ripe peach.

Hungerly, he clawed at her robes until she lay bare beneath him, all the while, she never uttered a word and kept her eyes focused on the vaulted ceiling of the throne room. Orlan took a moment to look down and the bare beauty beneath him; her nipples were a dainty pink that emphasized the tear-drop shape of her breasts, her lush curves guided his eyes to her bare womanhood that was discreetly tugged between her juice thighs, and her skin was white as milk, which darkened her hair and brightened her ruby eyes. He smirked when he saw how her eyes were fixed on the ceiling and grabbed her jaw to force her to look at him. "I know you were expecting something more, but I can't have you in my future marriage bed, it wouldn't be fair to my fiancé."

"I wasn't expecting anything." Was her blunt response and let him run his hands over her cold body. Soon enough, he couldn't hold back anymore and undid his belt and covered her mouth as he rammed into her. Armana tried to choke back a cry of pain when he entered her. He was a rough and inexperienced lover; she tried to keep her mind away, but each thrust brought her a new wave of pain. She had experienced her first love, had a child, gone through illness and infections, and none of that compared to the hell he was putting her through. Part of her wondered if he was purposefully making this as horrendous as possible for her, considering he didn't even offer her a bed to lay in. With every minute that passed of him using her as he pleased, her hatred for him grew and she cursed herself for not hiding a dagger in the folds of her dress. When he bit her breasts, she thought about biting into his neck. When he dug his nails into her rear, she thought about digging her nails into his chest and ripping out his heart. When he flipped her onto her stomach and rammed himself into her again, she thought about ramming a red-hot iron into his rear.

The last bit of humiliation came to her when he grabbed a fist full of her raven hair and pulled it before sending his seed deep into her. It had been nearly a year since his engagement to Flùr and he hadn't glanced at another woman since, so this was bliss to him. He could hardly tell that she was experienced and had a child and part of him wondered if she would carry his child as another form of binding her to him. He knew this wasn't necessary for the Céile Siombalach to become valid, but he was glad he did it. For a moment, he waited inside her to ease the tremble of ecstasy rushing through his veins before pulling himself out of her and giving her a clap on her rear before using the ends of her dress to clean off his manhood and getting up to fix his pants.

Armana took a moment to find her legs before collecting her soiled clothes and dressing herself in a hast. All the while, she felt Orlan's gaze on her. Once she was dressed again, Orlan sent a servant to collect Armana's guests; while she waited for her son and servant to appear, she ignored the sensation of his seed running down the inside of her thigh. She wasn't surprised when Flùr returned with Ionah carrying a sleeping Dante and she was glad that no one noticed her hair being slightly frazzled. Without another word or glance of acknowledgment, Orlan strode over to his fiancé and placed an arm around her waist to hold her close. As expected, the young Princess blushed when her fiancé held her. However, Armana nearly choked when Orlan opened his mouth and said. "Glad we could come to an agreement; however, I see that our conference took longer than expected. May I offer you a room within the castle, considering how tired your son and servant might be."

"I thank you for your offer, but I must return to Ero for the preparations for my niece's birthday. It is her first and I must do my part in the preparations." Replied Armana with a forced humble smile. She knew he had planned to keep her company throughout the night. There was god powerful enough to force her to endure another moment of that man's desires. The only glimpse of joy for her was the slight disappointment in Orlan's eyes. However, that wasn't enough to keep her in Morovia another minute. Soon, she and her guests were back in their carriage and on their way back to Ero; the carriage ride was long and silent. Armana refused to utter a single word while there was a risk her and Ionah might be overheard the driver. In the silence of the bumpy ride, Armana stewed over the humiliation and degradation she had suffered through. She didn't utter a single word to Ionah and didn't greet the servants back in Ero; she kept her features stoned and walked right to her room without hesitation.

Once Dante was out of her hands, Ionah followed Armana to her private room in silence. She knew what the King had done and knew what it meant to the Duchess and their plan. So far everything was going according to schedule. Once the door to Armana's bedroom was closed and locked, the Duchess tore her filthy dress from her body and flung the soiled rags into the fire roaring in the fireplace.

"I HATE THAT MAN!" Armana cried and poured the water from her silver washbowl that sat on her dresser over her body, not caring of the mess she made of the dark, hardwood, floor. "I NEVER FELT MORE LIKE A PIECE OF MEAT THAN I HAVE WITH THAT BASTARD!" she then picked up a rough brush she used for her nails and began to scrub her skin, inflicting red marks there the bristles bit into her skin. "HE USED MY BODY LIKE THAT OF A COMMON WHORE AND I WILL MAKE HIM SUFFER FOR THIS!"

While Armana hissed and cursed the Morovian King's name, Ionah simply stood in the room and watch the Duchess as she scrubbed every inch of her body with the rough brush. Part of her wanted to feel sorry for the woman, as she knew first hand the sensation of degradation but also knew of the fuel this hatred would provide. "The hatred you feel for him is fully warranted, but now you are implanted in his mind. I saw the disappointment in his eyes when you declined his offer and he fancies the taste of you."

At this, Armana stopped in the assault on her body to listen to Ionah. It was true, the King had certainly enjoyed his tryst with her, which was the purpose of the meeting in the first place. However, he was due to marry Princess Flùr within the year; how long could she keep his favor? "That might be so, but what is to keep him from forgetting me the moment he has a taste of the Claudan Princess? She is younger and less experienced than I. Certainly, the moment the doors close to the bedroom on their wedding night he will have forgotten me."

"Playing with a man's heart is simple." Replied Ionah and gently pulled Armana into a warm hug that felt like that of a mother to Armana's damaged pride. In a soft whisper, her servant continued. "All you must do is keep your presence in his mind. Write him letters and offer him small gifts of your affections. A kissed letter here, a handkerchief with your favorite perfume there. Make him think you are a lonely woman seeking the affections of an energetic man. King Orlan has his pride and you must fuel it until the time is right. Flùr's inexperience can be to your benefit; you know how to please a man and what to say to keep him keen for you. He will never drop the marriage to Flùr, but that is none of your concern. You don't seek his hand and you must write your letters to him as such. All this will turn his interest in you to a burning inferno of affection and that is what you need for your goal."

Ionah's warm touch and soothing voice were enough to dampen the seething hatred burning within the Duchess and she allowed her muscles to relax. It was even enough to ease the pain between her legs to a dull roar; if she could endure childbirth, she could endure this. "Again, you speak of experience. It makes me wonder what you went through before coming to my house."

"Let's just say, I have sacrificed my pride and body whenever I needed to survive. I could see that you are a strong woman and this will be but a distant memory of a nightmare once you hold the power."

Author's Note: I am so sorry if this chapter wasn't what you expected, but it is important for some of Armana's actions later in the story. I downed an entire bottle of wine to make myself numb enough to write this. I wanted to make Orlan as slimy as possible while still keeping Armana the villain of the story, which is difficult when you are writing a chapter where the villain is rapped. I do not expect a review of this chapter, I understand if you guys hate it as much as I do. All I ask is that, if you want to send me hate mail, that you send it via Private Message.


	12. Chapter 12

After feeding her family food from a can and then putting them to bed, Danny finally allowed herself a moment of silence. She loved her family and knew she could handle them; but Jack was a fussy infant and the twins only had two states of mind, computers, and food. With everything quiet, she sat down on a worn-out armchair in the living room and cracked open a can of cheap beer for herself. She knew she should not be drinking at her age, but she liked the taste and never drank to get drunk, so Ella allowed it. With a content sigh, she leaned her head back and listened to the sound of the quiet house; she didn't care when Ella would get off work, when Roger would return from his night searching for a bar, or when Tony would return from his date with Rodney. None of those things mattered; she didn't even care how Gwen was doing, she only felt sorry for Elyon's parents for having the little girl pushed on them for the night. No doubt, Gwen was in the middle of demanding sweets and watching horror movies at full volume right now. For Danny, this peace and quiet was a rare treat and all that missed to fulfill this moment was a cigarette.

As Danny sat in the chair, her quiet moment was ruined by a scratching sound coming from the front door; opening one eye, she saw how Janet had moved from her perch on the sofa to the door and was gently scrapping on it like a puppy needing to use the bathroom. "Hey, Janet, need to take a dump or are you just there to annoy me?"

Janet looked over its' spindly shoulder at Danny and let out a low groan. Danny knew she could use the toilet like a normal human, but since being in her care Janet had been acting more like an animal or a child away from their overly protective parents. With a groan in return, Danny replied. "If you want to go outside, you have to change into your human form. I am not going to risk someone seeing you like this. The family business is still a secret after all. Plus, I am tired, so just use the toilet like everyone else in the family."

In response, Janet shifted its' body it began to contract; within moments, its' body was back into her human form. Danny groaned and finished her beer, here was no way she could allow Janet to roam Heatherfield unattended; she had not only promised Sheela to keep an eye on Janet, but she loved her old hometown too much to let an unknown monster run around freely. Luckily, Janet had been wearing a long nightgown, so there was no need to dress her and, without another word of protest, Danny opened the door and followed Janet out. The Winter night was cold and the wind bit at Danny through the leather jacket, but she ignored it; she had lived through the cold Canadian winter, so she could live through a Winter in Heatherfield.

As Danny had expected, Janet didn't need to use the bathroom, but simply wanted to explore her new surroundings and expand her territory. Luckily, Janet kept within Danny's sight and sniffed everything, only stopping now and then if a scent was interesting or to see if Danny was still following her. As Danny followed Janet, her surroundings became more and more familiar; they were coming closer to Downtown Heatherfield. Inwardly, Danny wished she hadn't chugged the rest of that beer and stifled a burp as Janet approached a closed antique book store and lightly scrapped at the door. In her croaky voice, she said. "Will…Elyon…Phobos…Irms…Taranee…"

"So, they come here and hang out. I am not surprised. Are you ready to go home now?" as Danny had expected, Janet only snorted in response and kept walking. Janet was on a mission to map out her new territory and there was nothing Danny could do about it, so choking back another burp, she capitulated and followed her crawler friend. After a while, Janet stopped in front of another house and sniffed the air. Danny looked and recognized the house as Irma's.

"Irms…" croaked Janet and Danny only sighed.

"Yeah, I know it is Irms's. If I ever lose my friends in a crowd, I'll simply drag your nose along to find them." Replied Danny, but Janet didn't listen and kept on walking. Danny was annoyed by this; she wanted to go home and prepare for another day of school, but here she was babysitting a crawler in human form in the middle of the night. Sometimes, Janet would stop and rub her face or shoulder against a house corner or tree, which meant she marked it as part of her territory. Whenever she did this, Danny would look around to make sure no one was watching; there was no way she could explain this to an innocent bystander. After a few more minutes, the gates to Heatherfield park came into view and, against Danny's hopes, Janet wandered into it. By now, it was around 11:00 pm and Danny could feel her energy sinking lower and lower; Janet, however, was as active as a spring-chick. In a way, Danny felt jealous of her monster friend; Janet never had to worry about school, work, and family; all she had to worry about was her own preservation.

Danny was so lost in thought about the things she envied about Janet that she didn't notice that Janet had slipped her human form and was now traipsing around the park's gazebo and taking deep lungful's of the scent that still lingered on the wooden planks. With a low growl, Janet scratched at the planks and muttered. "Will…Phobos…"

"So, they come here on dates. Why should you or I care what the hell they do here." When her words fell on deaf ear, Danny rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated groan. "What is so interesting about this place? Do they come here to bang?" instead of answering, Janet's head snapped up and her stare fell upon the nearby pond; her nostrils twitched, and the tip of her tongue peeked out of her mouth as though she attempted to taste the scent she had found. Without paying Danny any attention, Janet made its' way to the direction of the body of water. Noticing this, Danny attempted to stop her crawler friend, which only served her to get partly dragged into the murky water of the pond.

"Janet, am I a joke to you? I hope you get ticks and leeches from stomping around the pond." Danny shrieked and stomped out of the murky water, her socks and shoes completely soaked. Janet, slowly walked deep into the pond, carefully sniffing the surface of the water as it walked. After a good minute of sniffing, Janet froze; it has found the source of the scent. Like attacking an unsuspecting fish, Janet plunged its' face into the water with its' mouth wide open; when it resurfaces, there was a shiny metallic object in its' maw. With its' prize tightly secured between its' teeth, Janet marched out of the pond and dropped the object before Danny's wet feet. A little surprised, Danny bent down and picked it up; the object was a dagger and a very pretty one at that. The handle was made of wood and wrapped in a strap of leather for grip, though, the leather would need to be replaced from its' time in the water. The wooden handle, though a little waterlogged, was well crafted and would be fine if allowed to dry. Lastly, the blade itself; it shown in the moon like a minnow and seemed to be made by layering the metal. Danny could see the distinctive wave pattern in the blade, and, because of the crafting, it hadn't dulled or collected any rust.

For a moment, Danny wondered what a fine blade such as this was doing in the pond. Surely, it had cost a pretty penny once considering it had to be handcrafted. However, she quickly dismissed that thought and appreciated her new treasure.

"Okay Janet, this might make up for dragging me out here in the cold." Said Danny with a smirk and shoved the blade into her jacket pocket; to her dismay, however, Janet had already continued its' walk through the park. With a groan and an annoyed sigh, Danny followed her crawler friend. "Janet, I thought we could go home now. We can continue our walk tomorrow when I get back from school!" Janet completely ignored Danny and continued on its' way through the park, only stopping once to look into the dark woods, snort, and continue going. With her prize forgotten and shivering from her soaked feet, Danny followed her friend.

XXXXX

In his little camp in the middle of Heatherfield Park, Caleb sat outside his tent with a small bottle of liquor Cornelia had given him. Since being exiled from Meridian, he had tried to make a place for himself on Earth. Cornelia tries to help him wherever she can, but he knew he couldn't rely on her all the time. For a few weeks he had managed to hide in her room, and she provided him with food and news of the world outside. In return, he warmed her bed and kept up the illusion that he still loved her. However, that had to come to an end when he was nearly caught by her father while taking a shower; he knew then that staying at her place much longer would end with him being discovered. Furthermore, he couldn't keep up the facade that he didn't care about Will.

The day Cornelia brought him the invite card Will made for the wedding nearly killed him on the inside. If Cornelia hadn't been there, he might have gone against the Oracle's orders and gone to Meridian in hopes to change Will's mind right before the ceremony; instead, he listened to Cornelia's rant. For Caleb, the world seemed very unfair; after everything he had done for Will and Meridian, he was left banished from home and away from the woman he loved. Sitting outside his tent and sipping from the bottle to keep warm, he simply hated everything. He hated the Oracle for his verdict, he hated Sophia for her poison, he hated how he had to pretend to love Cornelia, and he hated how the rebellion disbanded simply because Meridian was doing well now. However, the one thing he hated more than anything, was Prince Phobos, who now went by the title of King. Caleb seethed with anger at the thought of how that bastard got away with everything. Despite everything that man had done, he was allowed to remain in Meridian, allowed to wear the crown, and allowed to marry Will.

Furthermore, Will willingly married that bastard, even after everything he had done. From what Cornelia had told him, Will seemed happy with her marriage and even went on a vacation with Phobos and the remaining guardians to a cabin in the Canadian woods. Part of him wondered if he should convince Cornelia to reconnect with her former friends so he had a little more inside on the events in Meridian, but he knew that would Cornelia wouldn't agree to that plan just yet.

Caleb was interrupted in his thoughts when he heard a woman's voice nearby. At first, he thought it might be Cornelia, but the closer he listened the more he realized that he didn't recognize this voice; it didn't belong to any of his former friends nor was it any of the late-night joggers. Whoever was talking barely got a response from their companion and the long pauses between snorts, grunts, and heavy breathing made Caleb think that it was a woman with her dog. As the person, with her animal companion, came closer, Caleb second-guessed himself as the animal sounds could only be made by a large beast. Curious, Caleb carefully lifted a branch from the surrounding bushes enough to peek through; to his surprise and horror, a large, spindly looking creature was traipsing around the gazebo and sniffing it like a truffle-pig. From where he sat in hiding, he could barely hear the creature, but he was sure the thing was capable of speech, though it was broken and garbled. He was certain that he heard the thing mention both Will and Phobos and he wondered how that thing knew their names.

To his continuing bewilderment, the woman he heard earlier came into view and spoke to the thing as though it were a normal person. He heard the woman ask the thing about the reasons Will and Phobos were at the gazebo; of course, Caleb knew one reason their scent could be at the gazebo, but why would anybody be looking for the evidence now? Quietly, he observed the thing walking away from the gazebo and into the pond; for a moment he had to stifle a chuckle as the thing's handler attempted to stop the beast from walking further into the water, but then stopped when he remembered how he threw Matt's dagger into that body of water. Just as he suspected, the thing found and retrieved the lost dagger.

A theory popped into his mind for the reason of their presence in the park. Caleb thought those two, the thing and its' handler, were here to keep an eye on him; surely they were sent by the King to ensure Caleb wouldn't try to journey back to Meridian. This thought made the young rebel's blood boil with anger. Part of him had thought and accepted that, after the rebellion wasn't needed anymore, that he might have to relocate as no one would trust a rebel but sending someone after him was too much for the boy. So distracted was Caleb by his thoughts and anger, that he hadn't noticed the thing coming closer to him; when he did, he froze and stared back at the creature's milky eyes. For a long moment they stared at each other, then the thing snorted and traipsed away; clearly, it was satisfied with knowing where he was. The handler didn't even glance in his direction, giving Caleb the idea that the woman was just there to keep an eye on the creature while it was the one in control. For a long moment, after the thing left his field of view, Caleb remained still until his muscles ached and he leaned back against a nearby tree; the sight of the creature's eyes chilled him to the bone. He wondered what that thing could be as he had never seen anything like it back in Meridian.

Shaken by the sight of the creature, angered over his current situation, and slightly drunk from the liquor Caleb climbed into his small tent and went to sleep.

XXXXX

While Duchess Armana Ero remained awake and plotting her plans, her new advisor Ionah remained busy herself. Unlike Armana, Ionah didn't lock herself away but chose to travel. Unseen by anyone, Ionah wandered down to the castle catacombs where a secret escape tunnel connected the Ero family crypt to the outside world. This escape tunnel led under the sleeping city, parallel to the main sewer tunnel, and through the cities natural protective barrier; within two hours of walking Ionah was out of tunnels and casually strolled towards the dark woods where she knew a portal lay hidden behind an old waterfall. Unlike Armana, Ionah researched the current Queen of Meridian and knew nearly everything about her. She knew her name was Wilhelmina Vandom, her parents were divorced, she is the leader of the guardians, used to be enemies with Phobos, and she knew that she was from a city called Heatherfield on Earth. Earth was the same planet the rebel boy Caleb was banished to after his attack on the King.

This rebel and the guardian Cornelia, who if rumors were true no longer spoke to the other four because of Will's marriage to Phobos, could be very useful in aiding Armana in her plans. Surely, both were still bitter about the marriage between the leader of the Guardians and the current King of Meridian. Furthermore, if her investigations were correct, the rebel boy harbored romantic feelings for Wilhelmina and must be agonizing over the fact that she chose another. This Ionah could use to her and Armana's advantage.

To Ionah, traveling through the portal was easy since she had done so often in order to keep tabs on the vital players in her plans and knew where to find the exiled boy unless he changed locations again. Emerging on the other side of the portal, Ionah appeared behind an ancient oak tree in Heatherfield park; the portal was neatly hidden between oak and three large boulders. Quietly, without even cracking a single branch, Ionah walked through the woods of Heatherfield park until she reached the rebel boy's little camp. Looking down at the tiny, one-person tent, Ionah felt a twinge of pity for the young boy, but she quickly buried any sympathy she had and snuck into the tiny shelter. The tent was so small and low to the ground that Ionah had to crawl over the boy, but that too was easy for her.

Slowly and carefully, Ionah crawled over the sleeping Caleb like a spider crawling over a paralyzed fly. Once she fully hovered over him, she leaned her head down until her lips were an inch away from his ear; then she began to whisper. She knew what she had to say and how to say it to make the sleeping boy think her words were his ideas once he awoke; she had done this before to another boy many years ago.

"You are suffering from injustice." Her voice was as soft and quiet as a light spring breeze. "The love of your life lies with your enemy. Phobos doesn't deserve her; he doesn't deserve the crown, and he doesn't deserve to live. If he were dead, Wilhelmina would be yours and you would be celebrated as a hero." In his drunken sleep, Caleb mumbled a name that nearly sounded like Will's. "If you wish all this, go to Metarmoor and travel to Ero, there you seek out the Temple of the Seven Gods. Go at night and pray to the statue of Inaska."

"Inaska…" Caleb repeated in his sleep.

"Take Cornelia with you. Take the portal hidden between the old oak and the boulders."

"Oak and boulders." He repeated, groaned, and shifted a little in his sleep. It was this shift that Ionah had been waiting for. As quietly as she arrived, she left the rebel; managing to slip away from the camp just as Caleb opened his eyes with his mind racing with a plan to regain everything he lost. Meanwhile, Ionah made her way to another key player in her plan: Lord Cedric.

XXXXXXXX

Author's Note:

I am so sorry for the long break. I just moved countries and am preparing for my job. Life got a little hecktick for me and this project got left by the wayside. I am sorry, I'll try to do better in the future.


	13. Chapter 13

While Danny earned a new knife, Elyon was stuck entertaining Gwen. Despite the mannerly behavior the little blond showed earlier, it was obvious that she was even more spoiled and entitled than Elyon had thought of her when they first met. At dinner, Gwen asked for multiple servings; even from the dessert, but only ate what she thought was most appealing. After dinner, Gwen pilfered the pantry for cookies and soda, but only ate a few from each package; soon, the living room resembled a college dorm after a party. When Gwen was satisfied from the sweets, she rummaged through the Brown's movie collection, but let out a reluctant sigh when she only found romance and slice-of-life movies; luckily for her, and unlucky for Elyon, Gwen had thought of bringing her favorite movie: The Hellbound Heart, with her. Elyon didn't like gory movies such as this and excused herself to the bathroom within the first few minutes of the film so she didn't have to see the main antagonist being torn to pieces by metal hooks; Gwen only shrugged and kept her eyes on the Tv screen.

Instead of going to the bathroom as she said, Elyon snuck to her parents in the kitchen and joined them; entertaining Gwen made Elyon as tired as running a marathon. From what she could see on her parent's faces, they felt the same way, and this made Elyon hesitant; she knew she had to tell her parents about the invitation but worried what they would say. Exhausted, Elyon's mother looked up from her cup of tea at her daughter. "What is the matter Elyon, is Gwen making you as tired as she is making us?"

"She acts like a hungry cat." Added her father with a tired chuckle and drank a sip of his cup.

"She is making me tired, but that is not why I am worried." Replied Elyon and pulled the invitation letter from her pocket, where she had kept it hidden. "Will handed me this today."

As if the document were made of glass, Elyon handed the letter to her mother. For a moment, Mrs. Brown looked at the document with furrowed brows and opened it. For a moment she didn't say a word, then found her voice and shook her head at the same time. "I don't think you should go."

"What is it my dear?" asked Alborn and took the letter from his wife's hands.

"Family Ero is very close to the Escanor family. If Will thinks I should go, then why shouldn't I?" Asked Elyon, but then stopped herself when a theory rose in her mind. "Is it because my brother is going to be there as well? He hasn't done a single thing to harm us since getting married to Will. I spent three days around him in Canada and nothing happened."

"Elyon, please understand that we are just worried about you. We know you and everyone else think he has changed, but I simply have a bad feeling about this visit. Even if it isn't your brother we need to worry about…" Miriadel wasn't sure how to continue her sentence. She knew how things have changed in Meridian and that Phobos didn't wish Elyon dead anymore, but something about this invitation sent a cold chill down her spine. Alborn only shrugged and handed Elyon the letter back.

"I see no reason why Elyon couldn't visit her cousins. They are the next close relatives she has and, last I remember, Queen Seras was very friendly. I am sure Elyon would be safe with them."

"That is true, but last I remember there were tensions between Ero and Morovia the got dangerously close to the castle." Replied Miriadel, but then Elyon interjected.

"My brother managed to forced peace between the two kingdoms. I don't know how, but I heard he did, so there is no reason to be afraid of Morovia." Elyon then gently placed a hand on her mother's shoulder and looked at her with pleading eyes that usually worked. "Please, so you will let me go. It is just a birthday party and I am sure Will and the guards of Ero will keep an eye on me if you are still worried about my brother."

Mrs. Brown took one look at her adopted daughter's eyes and knew she couldn't deny her daughter the wish to see her family. She, just like Elyon, didn't quite know what to think of King Phobos, but the fact that Will would be there as well helped ease her nerves. With a heavy sigh, she agreed. "Alright, Elyon. I'll let you go to Ero to meet your cousins. However, should anything happen, or you feel unsafe, do not hesitate to come back. Ero is home to the fastest horses in all of Metarmoor; with one of those, you should be able to reach Meridian within 4 hours and be back in safety on Earth."

"Deal." Replied Elyon and tightly hugged her mother before returning to Gwen in the living room. There, she found her friend fully fixated on the Tv screen.

"You missed the best special effect of the whole film. For the resurrection scene, they filmed it in reverse by making a replica of the human body made of wax and melted it. Too bad the quality of the effects dropped in quality after the second film. If you want to hear my opinion, watch the first and second films and stay miles away from the rest, no matter what Hollywood says. The director of the first two films even publicly spoke about how the rest are not related to his film in any way but the name." Said Gwen without turning away from the screen. "I heard the man who made the wax figure, studied anatomy for months before filming began. I think they did pretty well, but he got the proportions of the skull wrong for a man in his 30's."

"If you know so much about movies and anatomy, then why do you want to become an Accountant? Why don't you become a director, special effects artist, or medical examiner?" asked Elyon and tried to look at the corner of the Tv screen so it looked like she was paying attention.

"I want a job that makes money. I would have more luck winning the lottery than making it big in Hollywood. As for the medical examiner part, Ella forbid me from working with dead bodies. In all reality, I want to become a funeral director and promote ecologically friendly burial. Did you know that all that embalming fluid is toxic to the environment while a dead body is relatively safe unless they have been dead for several weeks? A freshly dead body is safe enough to lick and you don't have to embalm them at all? There is no law requiring it and it is illegal in some countries altogether. I think embalming is just a money-making scheme. All you need to keep a body from decomposing before burial is ice or a cold room." At this, Elyon shuttered.

"I could have gone a long time without knowing that." The young royal didn't mention how she found it odd that Gwen, despite her family business, wasn't allowed to work in a more macabre business. Then again, her own family business wasn't much better than Gwen's. With a tired sigh, Elyon sank deeper into the sofa and tried to ignore the blood-fest displayed on the screen.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, Ionah had reached Meridian and found her way into one of the secret escape tunnels that led into the castle. As she walked, a flood of memories filled her mind and Ionah let her mind dwell on them for a bit. It had been years since she saw the inside of this castle and she was glad to see that little had changed. If she remembered correctly, Lord Xavier's private chambers were in the west wing of the castle; she was very certain that Cedric would follow in his father's footsteps and taken the same chamber. Just as she expected, the castle was vacant of servant and guards at this hour so Ionah didn't bother keeping in the shadows.

Soon she reached the private bedchamber of the old advisor and smiled when she heard soft snores from it. As she had expected, when she entered the room she found Cedric on his father's old bed. The bed and most of the furniture had changed, but not the layout of the room. Like a shadow, Ionah approached the sleeping advisor and leaned over him. Cedric, like Caleb and most sleeping people, lay on his side with an ear fully exposed. If rumors were true, the Lord was not very fond of the current Queen and knew what to say.

"You don't like Queen Wilhelmina." From the sleeping shapeshifter came a moan that told her he agreed despite being unconscious. "She thinks you are an idiot." Her voice was barely above a whisper and she smiled when Cedric frowned in his sleep. "She has your friend thinking the same thing. Right now, they are laughing about you. What a friend is your king if he laughs at you behind your back?"

In his sleep, Cedric frowned and flashed is teeth as he dreamed how his friend betrayed him for a woman who used to be their enemy. Ionah was nearly giddy at how easy it was to manipulate the Lord. Despite not having used her dream whispering, she was glad to see how she hadn't let that skill dull. Still, there was more she needed to do to drive a wedge between the Lord and his King, but this didn't bother Ionah the slightest; she knew of a very skilled option-maker that would help her in that part. Unlike with the rebel boy, Ionah kept her stay with the Lord short and left as silently as she had appeared.

Despite being finished with the Lord, Ionah didn't immediately leave the castle. As though she owned the place, Ionah walked through the castle hallways to the private bedchamber of the royal family. Like a shadow, she slinked into the dark room and approached the bed where the King and Queen slept. Silently, Ionah pulled the thick curtain aside and peeked at the sleeping couple. The married couple lay close together, with Phobos's arms wrapped around Will and Will's head resting on her husband's chest. Despite the darkness, Ionah could see a small smile on the corner of the Queen's lips.

From what Ionah could see, the couple was happy with each other and, from the faint purple mark on Will's neck, were well acquainted with intimacy. Furthermore, Ionah could see faint nail marks on the King's shoulder where his nightshirt had slipped; this made Ionah even happier since this could mean that Will already held the next Meridian heir within her. Satisfied with Will, Ionah let her eyes wander to the sleeping King and it was then that Ionah realized how much time had passed since she last saw him. Last she saw Phobos he was a boy, barely 6, and hardly knew how to wield his magic; now he was a handsome young man and knew how to hold his own against an adversary. Still, Ionah could see a very faint mark, normally completely invisible, on the man's neck and realized how close the boy had come to death in the past.

With a silent, thankful sigh, Ionah thanked the stars that the boy was alive and married before leaving the sleeping couple alone, completely ignoring the Heart that lay on the night-table beside the bed: The Heart buzzed and glowed as it sensed Ionah's presence. To Ionah, the Heart was of no importance and it played a very little part in the grand scheme of things. Like a shadow or a light spring breeze, Ionah came and went from the castle. However, her final departure from Meridian wasn't as unnoticed as she had hoped as well slightly opened her eyes and shivered. She didn't know why she had awoken from a peaceful sleep or why she felt a chill; gently, she looked up at her sleeping husband and shrugged before closing her eyes again and falling back into a warm sleep. Surely a window had been left open and a stray breeze had brushed her, but she had her husband's arms around her to keep her warm.

XXXXX

The next day, Will awoke with the feeling of nervousness and paranoia that persisted throughout the day. Throughout the day, she felt as though eyes were on her; though she suspected that this might be because of her meeting with King Royan. When she was in History, she remembered what her husband had told her of Royan and how he was a hermit since the death of his son. This made her worry for the future of her and her child; how would she react if Phobos suddenly died. Her heart nearly shattered when she found him dying in the gazebo and was certain that, if she lost him, that she would fall apart. This made her feel like she had a small connection with the old King. Her constant thoughts about meeting the old King made her feel like the day passed at the speed of cold molasses.

After several hours of school, Will finally returned to Meridian mostly thankful that the child within her didn't make her sick this day. Once changed in a red, velvet, dress with gold trimming Will went to the Throne room where the meeting was supposed to be held. For a moment, she was surprised that her husband was nowhere in sight; she was sure that they were supposed to meet here to await the arrival of King Royan. Hesitantly, Will stepped further into the room and looked around; unannounced to her, Phobos had already been waiting for her in the room. Hiding behind the open door to keep from view, he snuck up behind her and quickly wrapped his arms around her. Startled, Will let out a yelp and tried to turn around, but he wouldn't let her.

"What the Hell are you thinking? Were you trying to give me a heart attack?" she snapped and slapped his hands that were wrapped around her.

"How else is a surprise supposed to work?" he asked in a hushed whisper. That was then Will' felt him fiddle with the front of her dress and she looked down. Carefully, he was fixating a frog-shaped pin to her dress. The metal of the pin was decorated in something that gave it a shiny green coat similar to that of a beetles carapace. At this, she stifled a giggle and turned around in his arms to give him a questioning smirk.

"What did you break?"

"What do you mean?" he asked in return with a raised eyebrow.

"There has to be a reason you gave me this." She pointed a finger at the pin.

"You were so sick the other day and nervous about today, I thought it might lighten your mood to have it. "he replied and held her a little tighter. Will smiled and leaned her head against his chest; her earlier thoughts of losing him forgotten for the moment. However, their moment of intimacy was short-lived when they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat to catch their attention. It was Lord Cedric, with an expression on his face as though he had just bitten into a lemon.

Cedric hadn't woken up in the best mood. In his dreams, he was stuck in a deep pit and unable to climb out on his own while his friend, Phobos, and Will stood above him staring down. Instead of heling Cedric, the Will in his dream was whispering something to Phobos that made the king laugh and giggle like a schoolboy. Now, seeing them this close, it brought the nightmare back to his mind and this bothered him.

"Cedric is there something important you wish to tell us?" asked the King as he, reluctantly, let go of Will who was trying to hide her blushing cheeks; she still felt embarrassed when caught showing affection to her husband.

Something about the way the King phrased his question annoyed Cedric, but he had a job to do and would complete it even if he wasn't a fan of his friend's spouse. "King Royan has arrived. Should I let him in, or would you require another moment alone?"

"This is the first time King Royan has left his kingdom to visit another, so let's not keep him waiting." Replied Phobos, not noticing the annoyance dripping from Cedric's voice and keeping his hand on the small of Will's back to steady her; he could practically feel Will shaking in anticipation to meet the King of Gia.

Cedric bowed and left the room again through the large, dark-wood, double doors of the throne room. Will and Phobos managed to exchange nervous glances before King Royan entered the room. Though Will had expected the King to be old, she didn't expect what happened next. A man in his mid-90's was wheeled in by a servant; the only thing that showed this man was a king was the wide, golden, band that rested on his bald, age spot-marked, head. The rest of the king was a mere shadow of what he once was. Where his jaw and cheeks were once sharp and refined, his skin now sagged and barely clung to the skull underneath; where his shoulders and chest were firm with muscles; he was now thin and frail to the point where the slightest punch would dislocate his shoulder. His silver-grey eyes that were once clear and sharp, they were now a milky and useless; though he still let them roam over his surroundings like a soldier surveying the battlefield.

"Welcome to Meridian wise King Royan- "

"Don't waste your breath on a fancy welcome for this old man." King Royan interrupted Phobos and tightened his talon-like fingers on the armrests of his wheelchair. In a voice fitting his appearance, he addressed his servant. "Fan, wheel me over to the table and take your leave until I call for you."

Fan did as he was ordered and wheeled the elderly king over to the table that had been placed in the throne room for this meeting before leaving the room and waiting outside the closed, throne room, doors. A little startled from the old King's actions, Will and Phobos exchanged another glance before taking their seats opposite of their guests. Once everyone was settled at the table, King Royan's foggy eyes fell upon Will and they narrowed on her as the scrutinized her. "Are you the Queen of this kingdom?"

Taken off guard by the old King, Will needed a minute to find her voice; she felt like she was being interviewed by a drill sergeant instead of an old man. "Y-yes. I am Queen Wilhelmina Vandom Escanor."

"And you married King Phobos free willingly?"

"Yes, I did." Replied Will and reached for her husband's hand under the table. She didn't know where the old king was going with his questions and she worried how her husband would react to further questions.

"Does he treat you well, even with your tumultuous past?"

"Of course, he does." Now, Will no longer worried about how her husband would react. Now angry at the old man and how his questions reminded her of the arguments she had with her mother. Clenching her jaw in anger and hissing between her teeth she continued. "I have no idea what you have been told about us or what you think is going on between us, nor do I really care. Listen here King Royan, you have no right to come to our home and ask such questions; state your reason for visiting or kindly leave."

For a moment, the room was silent and Phobos was sure that King Royan would declare war upon Meridian for his wife's outburst. However, to both Will and Phobos's surprise, King Royan's thin lips curled into a grin and he let out a chuckle that shook his whole body. "Good, one less thing my old head has to worry about. Now, I'll ask one last question before I continue to the reason for my visit. Are you two considering having children in the near future?"

"Eventually we will." Replied Phobos before Will could and Royan's eyes roamed over the young couple as if he were trying to find proof that what the King is telling him is true.

"It is settled then." Said the old king with a relieved sigh and relaxed in his wooden wheelchair. "Now for the reason for my visit. As you may know, I am old and have no heirs to take my place once I leave this plane of existence. I don't want my kingdom to fall apart after my death; there are dozens of advisors and lower-ranked royals that will tear their claws into my crown once my head is cold. I can't let that happen, so I thought that, once I die, Gia will become part of Meridian."

This, neither Will or Phobos expected and it took a moment to sink in. In a way, they couldn't believe their ears; was the old king seriously intending to give them control over Gia once he died.

"King Royan, pardon my questioning, but are you sure this is a wise idea to combine Meridian and Gia?" asked Phobos and the old King only nodded with an amused smile on his lips.

"If I remember history correctly, Gia and Meridian were once supposed to unite under the first Queen, before she decided to marry someone else. Gia and Meridian are close in culture, governmental structure, and the trade is strong. It should be easy to unite the two once I die and with such a young and lively Queen," he gestured to Will, "there is a good chance that both Gia and Meridian will survive for another two generations. I have a drafted contract with me." He pulled out a folded parchment from a hidden chest pocket in his robe and placed it on the table for Will and Phobos to read. Phobos took a quick glance at the document before returning his attention to the King.

"King Royan, we appreciate the expansion to our kingdom you are willing to hand us but are you absolutely certain this is correct? You are closer related to Ero and Morovia is your neighbor."

"Queen Isabella is a fine queen but has her hands full running her own kingdom; I can't burden her with struggles of handling a kingdom thrice the size of hers's and I would rather let my kingdom burn than let Orlan get his hands on it. Now, I know I am old, and you are young and inexperienced, but once you get a quarter of my age, and have experienced love and loss as I have, you will see how fragile a kingdom can be and how important a proper ruler is." Replied the old king and waved his hand as though he were a teacher explaining something simple to a simple student.

"But, Ero king Pagan is your nephew." Royan cut Phobos off before he could continue.

"Pagan is the son of my half-brother, is retired, and has no interest in ruling my home once I leave. Now listen, King Phobos, I have no children and won't have any more at my age. It is either giving this kingdom in the care of you and your wife's hands or letting it fall apart. Which would you rather see?" Phobos let the old King's words sink in and thought them over. In a way, he could understand where the old man was coming from. Meridian was his home and he would rather have it in the hands of competent strangers than risk it falling apart. Will, on the other hand, still couldn't understand what was occurring.

"This is all so sudden." She said, lost in thought as she looked over the contract.

"I had been thinking of handing my kingdom to another for a while but couldn't find the right one. Though I know little about your relationship, your marriage was a blessing to me, and I can only hope you two will be blessed with many children soon. Now, I am not handing you two the keys to my home immediately, as I expect to live a few more months; however, I know my time is limited and I want these affairs sorted before I am too old to even hold my head. Have I made myself clear?" when neither Will or Phobos spoke, the old King's brows furrowed with worry and his eyes took on a pleading gaze that tugged on Will's heartstrings; they reminded her of an old dog she once saw that could barely leave his bed to greet his master. "Please consider it. It is the wish of an old and dying man after all."

After a minute of looking over the simple contract that already held Royan's signature and a quick mental discussion, the young royal couple relented.

"It is a deal, King Royan. We will take your kingdom into our own upon your death. Until then, we hope you live for many more years." Said Phobos and added his signature to that of Royan's before handing the document to Will for her signature. Once the document was signed, Royan took it and placed it back in his hidden pocket; to Will, the old king appeared relieved like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and she was surprised to learn that the old man could actually smile.

"I thank you both for the promise you have made. Knowing my home is in safe hands lets my head and heart rest easily tonight. Again, I apologize for my abrupt visit and for angering the Queen with my questions, but I hope you understand how important this was for me. Now, I will weigh upon your table no more and return to my kingdom." He then turned his head towards the door and called for his servant. "FAN, come here and serve your king!"

"You may stay as long as you wish. Surely there is something in Meridian you wish to see, and we are always happy to entertain guests." Will shot up from her seat as the servant entered and retrieved the old King. In return, the old king looked over his shoulder at Will as he was being wheeled away.

"You two take care of your kingdom and work on having an heir before you are old and childless like I am!" he then gave them another rare smile before the door of the throne room closed behind him and his servant. Left alone again, Will turned to her husband and placed a hand over her belly.

"Did this really just happen? Should we have told him about the baby?"

"Yes and no," answered Phobos and gently patted her hand. "He will hear of the news over our child soon enough. As for the part where he willed us his kingdom, I too am startled but I understand where this idea is coming from. Gia is his home and the home of his ancestors; he wants to make sure it is protected. Wouldn't you want the same for your home, to make sure it is taken care of after you are gone?"

"Well, that does make sense." Will then sat down beside her husband and rested her head on his shoulder. Then she remembered the pin her husband gave her and gently touched it with the tip of her finger. "Thank you again for the pin."

With a smile and a quick kiss to her head, he replied. "Anything just to see your smile."


	14. Chapter 14

While Will and her husband were busy with the visit of Gia's King, Myra in Ero was busily deciphering the ancient writing discovered on the foot of the statue dedicated to Inaska. So far, she managed to translate most of the prier dedicated to the ancient goddess, but it was the last part of her title that stumped the young Princess. "Goddess Inaska: Protector of the discarded, bringer of suffering, misery, and agony; creator of night and nightmares; mother of death and…"

It was that last word that stumped her, eagal; it was this final word that infuriated her. For years she had been trying to solve the mystery of Inaska and why she had been cursed. Myra had a feeling that it was connected to Oro and his madness, but she needed proof. When the old temple was unearthed, Myra had hoped that she could finally find her wanted proof. She had hoped that she could find evidence that Inaska had somehow influenced Oro into becoming a blood-crazed tyrant. In a way, she hoped that, with proof, she could clear the names of all future male rulers of Meridian and make it easier for her cousin to rightfully rule over his kingdom. She hardly knew anything about the current Queen of Meridian, she didn't even know what she looked like since she wasn't at the wedding. However, what she did know was that this stranger, who didn't even originate from Metamoor, was that she was seen as more of a rightful ruler than Phobos. This minor thing annoyed Myra to no end. Her cousin had studied every day since he could talk, grew up in Meridian, knew of the customs and language, and yet he was seen as less of a ruler than his wife because of a legend.

With a heavy sigh, Myra pushed the paper with the translations aside and stretched her back; she had been sitting hunched over her desk for what seemed like ages. She had received the parchment with the traced writing that morning, and now it was past dusk. It was small pains like this that made her regret dedicating her life to the studies of the ancient gods and goddesses; Isabella never had to worry about tired and strained eyes from weak candlelight of sore backs from hours of sitting hunched over her desk. Isabella didn't stay cupped up in dusty libraries or dig around in the dirt in hopes of discovering something to aid in her quest. However, she had promised herself that she would learn all that she could about the ancient legends and clear the name of any future male heir to the Meridian throne. She had promised this the day she realized how poorly her cousin was being treated and had never given up since; even when her cousin never replied to any of the letters she, her sister, and her mother had sent. She had never given up on clearing her cousin's born curse, even when he seemed to fulfill the expectations set onto him. All she had to do was find proof of her theory.

Myra's train of thought was interrupted when she felt silky wisps of hair tickle her nose. It was her sister Isabella who had come to check up on her and see her progress.

"I see you have been busy translating the ancient priers found on the statues." Isabella's voice was barely above a whisper and her sapphire eyes were focused on the papers on her sister's desk.

"I am almost done with translating Inaska's prier; it is only the final word that stumps me. I am so certain that this final word will be the proof I need to clear the name of any and all male heirs to the Meridian throne." Replied Myra and stretched her arms as far as her body would allow it.

"You have worked on that theory for years and never found a single shred of evidence." Isabella sighed and leaned on the desk before facing her sister. "But, I'll humor your efforts. What is the word you are having trouble with? Perhaps I can help."

"The word is eagal. It is part of Inaska's title; so far everything she is associated with is dark and negative with the exception that she is the protector of the discarded. It comes right after she is named mother of death. However, I haven't found a source that directly or indirectly translates eagal to a more modern word."

"Well, have you tried to find a word often accompanied by death?" asked Isabella but Myra only shook her head.

"I have tried despair, shadows, decay, and mourning but none fit. Each already has a word from that time and none of them are eagal." Replied Myra and poured herself a glass of wine from the jug Isabella had been generous enough to bring with her.

"Have you tried fear? People tend to fear death." Again, Myra only shook her head.

"Fear doesn't explain the madness Oro suffered from."

"Have you considered that the myth of Oro has no connection to the story of Inaska and her curse?" Isabella could understand her sister's obsession but often wished Myra would know when to give up and accept the world for what it is.

"They have to be connected." Countered Myra annoyed. "If the stories are true then Oro was Inaska's nephew and the story of his madness originated around the same time as Inaksa's curse. Also, she is never mentioned in other stories after Oro's death. I am certain she had something to do with the way Oro turned out and all I need to do is find the proof. So far, there is no evidence that Inaska had the ability to manipulate people's minds."

"Then work your theory from another angle. What could cause madness like that Oro suffered from?" At this point, Isabella was humoring Myra. Deep down, she didn't believe that the stories were true. She chose to see things a little more rationally and for her, that meant that people had to find reasons to justify their world.

"Anything can cause madness." Replied Myra and finished her glass in one go. "There could be a million reasons why Oro became crazy."

"I guess all this studying has made you forget the original story that got you interested in all this." Said Isabella with a cheeky smile and playfully nudged her sister. "Remember the story Phobos told us about the origins of Oro Mortis day?"

Slowly, Myra lowered her glass and stared at her sister inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't the story mention that Oro was afraid that someone would dethrone him."

"But there is a difference between fear and…" Myra stopped herself as she realized something. There was something between fear and madness that might explain the reason for Oro's actions and help solve the word she had been trying to translate for ages. As if she were stung by a bee, Myra shot up from her seat and raced to a nearby shelf containing books on translations and other dictionaries. With a little effort, Myra carried the heavy tome to the desk. With a labored groan, Myra rested the book on the desk and began to flip through the pages until she reached the one with the word fear. "Here are synonyms for fear. One of them is paranoia and paranoia is often associated with madness. So eagal could mean fear, paranoia, or madness. This would mean that Inaksa was the mother of death and fear." Myra was practically glowing as she made the connection; it finally all made sense to her. Isabella, on the other hand, remained calm in the whole matter.

"Great, you translated part of an old prier. Now all you have to do is prove that gods exist." Replied Isabella with a weak smile; this earned her a groan and eye roll from her sister.

"It doesn't matter if gods exist or not. What matters is that this discovery could change everything we know about the old legends and beliefs. This could prove that Oro did not become crazy on his own, but that he was influenced by an outside source."

"And what is that going to accomplish?" asked Isabella, knowing where her sister was going.

"It could dispel the belief that Phobos was destined to become an evil tyrant."

"You forget that our beloved cousin has done many harmful things since assenting to the throne. It is only since his marriage that things have regulated themselves." Countered Isabella, but Myra wouldn't hear of it.

"Phobos became the tyrant everyone expected him to be. I know that if I had been told from the day I was born that I was destined to be evil that I would eventually give in and become what everyone wants me to become. Furthermore, there is no proof that Phobos would have turned out like Oro; the only reason people believed he would is that he resembled a painting from an unknown artist drawn 100 years after Oro's death. Besides, outside of Phobos, no other male heir ever showed signs of madness or cruelty. Because of a lack of written records for all, we know Oro never existed or, if he did, we have no evidence that he was crazy. Our cousin has been suffering for years from an injustice brought upon by a legend that was misconstrued." Myra's emotions were nothing short of euphoric at the revelation before her.

"How is your discovery going to change what Phobos did or how people are going to perceive him?" again, Isabella was a voice of reason in Myra's mad drive to clear her cousin's name. It was true, there was nothing she could do to undo the past, but Myra was noting going to give up.

"True, I cannot change the past." She continued in a level tone, "But I can change the future. I mean, what if Phobos and his wife have a child and that child happens to be a boy? He would be subjected to the same treatment Phobos was and could turn out repeating the same mistakes."

"That too is out of our control." Countered Isabella, "We cannot raise their supposed child for them. If they have a child and that child would be a boy, then it is up to them to raise him properly so he doesn't repeat his father's mistakes."

"But we can rule out misconceptions and make it easier for them. We live in an age of enlightenment; I am certain people will accept that they have been given a misunderstanding of the old legend and have therefore been mistrusting their kings for no reason."

"Fine, I am going to inform the public of your discover and I hope that it has the effects you wished for." At this point, Isabella gave in and gently patted her sister's shoulder. In a way, her sister was right and her discovery would explain why the Meridian people were so mistrusting of their kings despite there never being any real reason to.

"No, don't tell the public just yet." Replied Myra, a mischievous smirk spreading across her lips. "I want this to be a surprise for Phobos and his wife. We should tell them when they get here for your daughter's birthday. In a way, it would make up for my absence during their wedding. I still feel bad for not attending."

"I offered you to come along." Isabella playfully nudged her sister's shoulder again. "But you wanted to stay here and translate your ancient priers."

"It worked out in the end. Didn't it?"

XXXXX

The following morning, Irma's mind was buzzing with ideas on how to get back at Danny for the cruel joke she played on her the other day. Yesterday, she tried various ways to have her revenge; anything from stealing Danny's pens and pencils to sneaking bunny ears onto her cousin whenever she had the chance. Each act was followed by a swift and hard punch to her arm by Danny. Her arm still hurt from the last punch it received so Irma knew she had to get her revenge in a way that Danny couldn't trace it back to her. At first, she thought about placing a glitter bomb inside Danny's locker, but that plan died when Irma realized that she didn't know Danny's locker combination. Then, she thought about throwing water balloons at her cousin, but that would have been too cruel; it was winter, and Danny was athletic enough to chase her down for it, which would only earn her abused arm more punches. She also thought about sneaking itching powder into Danny's jacket, but that would only earn her another good beating by Danny. Seemingly, every idea Irma had would result in negative consequences for her. It wasn't until she reached the gates of the Sheffield Institute the next day that in idea came to her head that wouldn't result in her getting her butt kicked. It was such a simple plan that Irma could kick herself for not thinking of it sooner. As she waited for her friends to arrive, Irma was carrying the widest grin she ever had.

"Well, I see someone woke-up beaming." Said Taranee as she arrived at the gates. "Did Melvin find a girlfriend?"

"Even better," replied Irma, her smile never faltering. "I finally thought of a way to get back at Danny for getting me covered in crawler spit. It took me ages to get that cleaned and I can't believe it took me this long to think of a good revenge."

"You aren't planning on glitter bombing her locker, aren't you?"

"Nah, she'd beat me to a pulp if I did." Replied Irma just as Hay-Lyn and Will were arriving.

"Who is going to beat whom to a pulp?" asked Hay-Lyn a little worried, but Irma simply kept smiling.

"Don't worry guys. No one is getting beaten. I am just going to annoy Danny a little since it took me ages to feel clean after the licking Janet gave me." Explained Irma before walking up to Will. "You, on the other hand. Are you alright? You seemed a little out of it yesterday."

For a moment, Hay-Lyn worried that Will's secret was out. Luckily, Will quickly regained control over the situation. "Oh, yeah yesterday. The King of Gia visited Meridian and I was nervous about meeting him since his kingdom is the second biggest one in all of Metamoor and he isn't known for his friendly visits."

"A visit from a royal!" Irma's eyes seemed star-struck.

"You do remember that you meet plenty of royals on a daily basis with Will, Elyon, and Phobos, right?" Taranee nudged Irma's side as Danny came into view from a distance. "Besides, your object of obsession is on their way."

"Object of obsession?" asked Will, but before she could get an answer out Irma, the young water-witch was off to greet her cousin.

"Hewow Dannywanny. How was your morniworny?" Asked Irma in a sickeningly sweet baby voice that was only an inch short of resembling nails on a chalkboard. Without skipping a beat, Danny looked over her cousin at her friends and asked with a blank face.

"Did Irms suffer a stroke or is there a reason she is acting like this?" for a moment, Irma worried that her friends would oust her to her cousin. However, as though her friends could feel her inner nervousness, Hay-Lyn immediately pipped up.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She added a shrug that she hopped would appear normal. "She sounds perfectly normal to be."

"Oh, so regularly talks like an idiot. It doesn't surprise me."

"Aw, is somewone grwumpy wumpy?" asked Irma and motioned as though she was going to pinch Danny's cheek before stopping herself. Danny caught this and gave her cousin an evil smirk.

"Good catch, I would have ripped off your fingernails had you touched me." She then turned her attention from her pale-faced cousin to her new friends. "So, what is on the agenda for today? Are we going to visit Meridian and fight dragons or are we going to just hang around the school and visit that in-between place for lunch?"

"We have P.E. today and I am totally not feeling it," Replied Hay-Lyn and pretended to stretch her arms in preparation. "I think we should use our Astral Drops and scoot on out of here. I wanted to see how Will lives in Meridian now that she is Queen. I haven't seen Julian and Blunk in ages."

"We really shouldn't abuse our Astral Drops like this. We were told to only use them when the guardians are needed and so far Meridian doesn't really need us. For once we can just sit back and watch the world go by." Replied Taranee and nudged Hay-Lyn in the side. "Besides, I doubt Phobos would like it if we simply popped up and started messing around his home like old times. It might give him PTSD."

"He wouldn't mind," countered Will before she could stop herself, she had hoped her friends would visit her new home and see how it has changed, but then she had to remind herself that her husband did not enjoy surprise visits and still felt uneasy around her friends. "However, he would prefer knowing of a visit. He isn't quite comfortable yet with this whole guardians-being-the-friends-of-his-wife thing considering our history"

"Well, if he didn't want shit to get awkward then he shouldn't be fornicating with the leader of the guardians then," Danny said in a sarcastic tone, however, Will took it a little too serious and immediately jumped on the defensive.

"We are not fornicating and don't say talk like that so loud here where others can hear you!" Will loudly hissed while her cheeks turned a beet red color. "No one here, outside of my friends know I am married and it is better that things stay that way." As if fates designed her embarrassment, it was that exact moment that Matt walked by the group and dared a glimpse at Will before running off to the doors of the school.

Reading the situation, Danny sucked in her lips and nodded in understanding. "Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut about you and your husband's Eyes Wide Shut moments."

"If Will said nothing is happening then nothing is happening." Added Hay-Lyn in Will's defense, but Danny wasn't buying it.

"Sure, a married couple doesn't fuck and I am secretly the Queen of England."

"Oho, so you are a queenywieny?" Irma asked Danny, but this time she didn't get away with it. With one swift motion, Danny grabbed onto Irma's wrist and twisted it.

"Irms, I love you, but you are really pushing your luck. Either shut up or prepare to eat my foot." Her only response to that threat was a choked squeak before rushing behind the safety of her friends, who were clearly shocked by Danny's sudden change in attitude. She sounded so serious when she threatened Irma that the gang was sure any moment Danny would stay true to her promise and kick the young water witch's teeth in. At the same time, it startled them how quickly Danny's mood changed; a moment ago everything was about fun and now the air between them felt thick enough to cut with a knife. Danny, clearly seeing that she had gone too far this time with her jokes, decided she couldn't save the situation and excused herself from the group. However, she didn't get far as the moment she stepped through the gates she ran into and tackled a blond girl to the ground.

"Hey, watch it!" hissed the girl as she propped herself up.

"Sorry, sorry, I am so sorry-"Danny stopped her apologies when she looked up and stared into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Those blue eyes were attacked to a fine face with perfectly smooth skin and perfectly shaped nose. This angelic face was framed by silky, golden hair from which peeked a set of seashell ears. Whoever this girl was, Danny knew any boy would be lucky to call this girl theirs. This illusion was quickly broken when the pretty girl scrunched up her nose and shoved Danny off her.

"Get off me!" snapped Cornelia and tried to get to feet, but Danny was faster and helped the blond to her feet.

"Geez, I am sorry. I didn't mean to ruffle your pretty feathers." She tried to remain sweet and funny towards this stranger, but it did bother her how this girl snapped at her for a simple accident. Despite what happened between them, Irma rushed over to Danny and wrapped her into a tight hug.

"Cornelia, it was an accident. Please don't make a scene." Part of Irma still clung to the hope that Cornelia would accept what happened and be their friend again, but it was beginning to get more and more difficult to cling to that hope.

"Oh, so this fashion disaster is with you?" Asked Cornelia as the rest of her former friends caught up and gathered behind Danny and Irma for support.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Danny as she looked down at herself and then back at the girl. "This is to school code."

Instead of responding or even acknowledging Danny, Cornelia's cornflower blue eyes fell onto her friends. "I am not surprised, but I hoped you'd find a replacement for me that at least doesn't' look like it rolled out of the local dump."

Before her friends could reply, Danny snapped back at the pretty girl. "Listen up bitchzilla, you better calm your tits and skedaddle before I decide your pretty manicured nails would look better as glue-on's on my dog. Got it?"

"Uhg, whatever, just keep away from me you losers. Especially you," she pointed at Will. "You pedo-bait ginger." With that, she walked away; brushing the dirt from her jeans. Still a little in shock, Danny turned to her cousin and asked.

"Did I bull the shit card today or why was she so bitchy to me?"

"Remember when I told you about Cornelia, the friend that left because Will chose to marry Phobos?" replied Irma in a concerned and worried voice.


	15. Chapter 15

Cornelia couldn't believe how quickly her former friends replaced her; furthermore, she was angry that they replaced her with a boy. Though she knew there was no way she could forgive Will for betraying them and everything they stood for to marry and sleep with that monster that wears the Meridian Crown, she had hoped they'd find a decent replacement for her. In addition to that, her boyfriend had been acting oddly in the past couple of days. From suggesting a quick visit to Ero, what she learned is a kingdom neighboring Meridian, to muttering in his sleep about needing to visit Ero. She wasn't sure how Caleb was going to Ero in the first place since he got banished from Meridian and the only way she knew to get to Ero was through Meridian.

Cornelia had to admit to herself that Caleb hasn't been the same since the trial. Since that day, he had been more cold and distance; he no longer treated her to lunch or dates, he no longer smiled, he preferred his time alone in his camp in the woods, and he stole liquor from her father's old cabinet. Most of the bottles were old and covered in dust, so Cornelia was certain that her family wouldn't miss them too much. The only positive thing the trial had brought about was how close it brought her and Caleb together, both emotionally and physically. Whereas before he kept his distance, he now spent every night that her parents were away with her; however, even the physical intimacy wasn't what she had expected. Sure he was able to give her what she wanted, but it lacked any form of comfort and warmth. In a way, it felt like he was only going through the motions but that his mind was somewhere else.

Lastly, it bothered her that the P.E. teacher had scheduled a run around the block in the cold weather. Begrudgingly, Cornelia entered the girl's locker room, which smelled of deodorant and old shampoo with a hint of sweat and headed for her locker. To her surprise, someone was using the previously empty locker beside her. She couldn't see who it was since the open locker door blocked her view, but whoever it was seemed to live a rough life judging by the various cuts, scrapes, and bruises on their legs. Still, she didn't pay the girl too much mind, since she only had a few minutes to change into her sportswear. Just as she opened her locker, the girl beside her closed hers and Cornelia nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the boy that had tackled her earlier.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Cornelia hissed at the boy whom she was certain Irma had called Danny.

Danny, more calm and relaxed than Cornelia, only raised an eyebrow at the pretty blond. "I didn't see your name on this locker room, Cornelia."

"That is not what I meant; you do know this is the girl's locker room, right?" At that, Danny narrowed her eyes at the pretty blond for a moment before it dawned on her that this girl thought she was a boy. Without much hesitation, Danny lifted her baggy shirt to flash the blond.

"Listen toots, I know my hooters aren't as big as yours, but you gotta have piss poor eyesight to think I got a dick." With her check flushing red, Cornelia was greeted with the sight of a slightly too feminine figure and barely existing breasts.

"You know, A's are for kids." Cornelia countered in a vain attempt to save face.

"Real mature, coming from a bobblehead like you." Replied Danny as she pulled on her sports shirt. With that, Danny slammed her locker shut and pushed past the blond, not caring that she roughly bumped her shoulder against hers. From then on, Cornelia made it her mission to top Danny in some way shape or form; however, that seemed more difficult than expected. During warm-ups, Danny bested Cornelia by being faster and stronger by being able to do more push-ups and sit-up in a shorter amount of time. During the run around the block, Danny was easily keeping the lead with the new gym teacher without even breaking a sweat; which earned her a compliment from Mr. Clementine. It was because of that compliment that Cornelia discovered why Danny was so much better at sports than most of the class; this rag-tag girl practiced parkour. It became very clear from that moment on that Cornelia would have to find another way to best Danny; she could always best the girl with her looks, but it was very clear that Danny didn't put much value on external appearances. Still, Cornelia was determined to be better than Danny in some way. She wasn't going to give up.

However, as the day passed on, Cornelia's determination began to wither. During Home Economics, Cornelia forgot about her pancakes on the stove while whipping heavy cream for toppings. Danny, on the other hand, managed to both fry the pancakes and a fine strawberry whipped cream with chocolate sauce. When the teacher asked her how she thought of such a dish Danny responded that she had to cook for her family. Next, in Science class, the class was tasked with completing electrical circuits to make a lightbulb glow; no matter what she tried, Cornelia couldn't get her bulb to glow. Danny, on the other hand, was done with in the first 15 minutes with all 5 circuit examples and managed to help most of the class with their problems. For that, Danny's excuse was that she learned from watching her brothers build computers. Apparently, Danny had learned everything from everyone and by the time lunch rolled around, Cornelia was grinding her teeth about her goal of besting Danny.

After gathering her school-issued tray of questionable food, Cornelia dared a glance at the table her former friends sat at, only to see them having fun and enjoying their day; the morning's events seemingly forgotten.

XXXXX

Unlike Cornelia, Will's day passed rather smoothly; she had a short dizzy spell during Science and took things a little slower during P.E. but she managed fine without getting sick. Still, it annoyed her how difficult it became to act normal around her friends. Furthermore, the longer she tried to act normal, the more she wanted to confess to her friends about her pregnancy. Then again, Irma's actions that morning reminded her why she wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible and she was thankful that Hay-Lyn managed to keep it a secret. However, Cornelia's words that morning bothered her and part of her wanted to snap back at her former friend about how Caleb didn't love her and was only using her because he couldn't be with the woman he loved; but that would only open a can of worms she didn't feel energized enough to deal with.

It was Danny's laughter that brought her out of her deep thought. "And then, I lifted my shirt and flashed her. I can't believe she thought I was a guy. Can you guys believe it?"

"I can't," replied Irma through hysterical fits of giggles. "I mean, you don't look like a guy to me."

"Give old Corny a break." Replied Taranee after catching her breath. "To her, Will probably qualifies as a boy because of her short hair."

"Well, according to old Corny, I am prime pedophile bait." Muttered Will as she poked at her macaroni, which barely responded to her touch; luckily, the other only rolled their eyes and Danny even playfully poked Will's side.

"Oh don't mind what Corny said. It ain't her business what you and your hubby do behind closed doors." Replied Danny before whispering in a low tone. "Besides, you can be honest with us. You two have been getting jiggy with it on the regular."

"No, we haven't because Phobos respects my mother's wishes." Hissed Will as her cheeks began to turn red.

"You, a teenage girl with a guy as love-struck as yours at your beck and call, not doing it? You honestly expect me to believe it?"

"How hard is it for you to imagine that nothing is happening? You act like all teenage girls are hormone-driven." At this point, Will was having trouble keeping her voice low and restraining herself from strangling her best friend's cousin.

"Guys, can we please change the subject? I don't want to think of my friend and my former enemy getting jiggy." Muttered Taranee and rubbed her head as though she got a headache. "I think I'll need brain bleach if this conversation keeps going the way it has."

"Sounds great," replied Hay-Lyn, worried that Will might break and confess if Danny kept needling her. "Personally, I want to know more about the visit from that Gia King. What did he have to say?"

"Well, nothing much and he didn't stay for long. He just asked us to keep an eye on something important when he passes away." Replied Will, glad that the conversation shifted. Obviously, her friends weren't going to off the hook with a vague statement like that.

"What does he want you to keep an eye on? Doesn't he have someone else to look after it? Doesn't he have a son or daughter? Why did he think to ask you?" it was one question after another that left Irma's mouth and Will felt nothing short of being steamrolled by her questions.

"Well, he asked both me and Phobos and it is something very important; for all we know, the King might still change his mind about everything and find someone else to look after everything when he passes." Will tried to continue but was interrupted by another jab to the side by Danny.

"Come on sister, spill the beans. What is so important that you were worried about it all day yesterday?" Finally, Will couldn't keep it a secret any longer and, with a heavy sigh, she confessed.

"King Royan wants Phobos and I to take his kingdom into ours when he dies." Finally, the group became silent and stared at her with a mixture of shock and surprise. With another deep breath, Will continued. "Used to have a son, but he died many years ago and he doesn't have any other heirs. He is worried that his kingdom will fall apart if the other royals fight over it. Personally, I hope Royan does have a secret heir. It is not like Phobos and I would be against uniting the two kingdoms, but it just feels so sad that Royan sees no other option than to will his home to us."

After a short moment of silence, Danny burst out laughing and roughly clapped Will on the back; apparently, nothing about Danny was gentle. "That is awesome to hear Willy. You're gonna be double rich once that geezer kicks it. Maybe I should ask you for my student loans in a few years."

"Not cool Danny." Muttered Irma while shaking her head. "Not cool."

Will, feeling herself growing close to tears, excused herself from the table and rushed to the girl's bathroom. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of everyone; luckily, the room was empty and she was allowed to let the tears drip from her eyes in peace. She wasn't even sure why Danny's words had her so worked up; the only thing she could think of how she had compared King Royan's situation to hers should she loose Phobos. Ever since the assassination attempt on him, she was worried she would lose him again and now, that they were expecting a child, she feared that day more than anything. After a few minutes, Hay-Lyn came in and wrapped Will into a tight, comforting, hug. "I am sorry for what Danny said. She probably didn't mean to be so insensitive."

"It isn't just of what she said," muttered Will between tears. "I am not sure why everything bugs me so much. This morning I got annoyed by my husband trying to get me out of bed so bad I was sure I'd snap at him. I feel like I am turning into a monster."

"You are not turning into a monster, Will." Replied Hay-Lyn and rubbed her friend's back in an attempt to comfort her. "You are just pregnant. You'll get used to it."

"Will this last forever?" asked Will as her tears finally stopped.

"Nah, only for the next 8 to 9 months and I'll be by your side to help you." Answered Hay-Lyn and smiled at her friend. "And once you are comfortable to tell the others, so will they; no matter what Cornelia says."

Will thanked Hay-Lyn and together they returned to the lunch table where Danny was getting her ear chewed out by Irma. When Will took her seat beside Danny, the rag-tag girl looked up at Will as though she were a goddess sent from the heavens and with heavy eyes and a low voice she muttered. "Will, I am sorry."

"It is okay Danny; it seems you have suffered enough." Replied Will and gently patted her back. Irma only shook her head at Will's response.

"Will, you can't always forgive people like that. Danny will never learn her lesson if she is always forgiven." She then turned her attention to her cousin, still fuming. "Don't think I'll let you off the hook that easy."

"Oh give her a break," said Taranee, deciding to side with Will on this subject. "But now I gotta ask, Danny, why are you so fascinated by Will and her relationship? Aren't you planning on getting married one day?"

"What do you mean? I am already married to Irma." Replied Danny in an overly sarcastic tone.

"What do you mean?" asked Hay-Lyn, knowing this was going to be fun as Irma slid deeper into her seat.

"Well, she already yells at me like we are. Besides, we can all admit that she has a shit taste in men; I mean how else could you explain a girl with looks like hers to still be single? I have no real desire to ever get with a guy or getting with anybody ever! Lastly, I already have this image in my head where we are both old fuddy-duddies she helps me off the easy-chair while I help her off the toilet."

XXXXX

Meanwhile, in Meridian, Lord Cedric couldn't get his mind off the nightmare he had. Despite knowing it was just a dream, it just felt so real to him and the feeling of being abandoned by his best friend lingered. Furthermore, he couldn't get the image of Will smiling down at him with a sadistic glint in her eyes; just remembering it sent an icy chill down his spine. In addition, it annoyed him that Will was allowed to attend the meeting with King Royan and no information was passed onto him. He had been friends with Phobos for years and knew him longer than anyone else in the castle, especially Will, so he couldn't understand why he was left out. Lastly, it seemed that his friend had abandoned his plans of world conquest in favor of pleasing his new wife. In fact, the longer Will stayed in Meridian, the more his friend changed into a stranger to Cedric. Now, with the trip to Ero only days away, Cedric felt like it was time to confront his friend and master about his behavior and how he has changed. Gathering all his nerves, and let himself into Phobos's study, where the King was sitting at his desk looking over a list that Cedric didn't bother to glance, but if he had he would have noticed they were contractors and nannies. Without worrying about his friend finding out, Phobos glanced up at his friend and asked, "What do you need."

"Your highness, pardon my interruption, but I must speak with you."

"You have my full attention, Cedric." Replied Phobos, wondering what Cedric needed from him. As far as he knew, there were no special tasks scheduled for the day.

"I apologize if this sounds rash, but I must ask, what happened about the plan?" at this, Phobos raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend as though he had grown a second head.

"What plan?" asked the King, honestly unsure what his friend was talking about.

"What plan? What plan?" Cedric couldn't believe his ears. Had his friend completely forgotten about his life goal? Forgotten about everything they have worked towards all these years? "Your plan! The plan we have worked so hard for all these years! The plan to conquer this pathetic world. Have you been too preoccupied with the guardian to remember?"

It was only after these words left him that Cedric realized how they might be perceived. With the list forgotten, Phobos rose from his seat and glared at his friend, his before somber demeanor having soured.

"What are you implying, Cedric? That I have gotten soft with my marriage?" his voice low and threatening, daring his friend to continue. Cedric, now feeling his opinion validated, fell right into the trap.

"What I am implying is that she has made you forget and that all our hard work has been for nothing." Hissed the Lord, but he was not ready for the response he earned.

"Well, Lord Cedric, I apologize if I have been a little preoccupied with my new life considering all that has happened. I never asked for my life to be tethered to another person, but fate had other plans for me." Despite not showing it, Phobos felt cornered. Since getting married to Will, he had completely abandoned his plans in favor of living a peaceful life, a life Will could be proud of him living. Now, his oldest friend and most trusted ally was needling him; confronting him on a subject he had hoped he could let die like an unwanted plant in a dark room.

"Simply being married to the leader of the guardians doesn't mean we must abandon everything we have worked towards-"

"And who said I abandoned anything? After all these years of serving me, you should know me better than this, Cedric." Interrupted Phobos before Cedric had the chance to get more riled up. "Being married to Will simply means we must go about obtaining our goal differently. We can't go about fighting one battle after another with my life being tied to the guardian's presence and the Oracle watching our every step. Instead, we must show patience and pull the strings behind the scenes." Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves and keep himself from striking his friend with lighting, he continued. "If it calms your nerves, we have already gotten our goal a lot closer than you realize. The other day, when King Royan visited, we signed a contract that unties Gia and Meridian upon his death; meaning our kingdom will nearly double in size and so will our army. When that happens, the only kingdoms that would be of any trouble would be Ero and Morovia. Considering Queen Isabella is a peaceful person, Ero will be of no trouble, but the mountain kingdom of Morovia will be a lot harder to conquer. This further validates my point that we have to be a lot cleverer about our plans."

"I still don't see why we must put up a front for the guardian girl." Muttered Cedric, feeling like a schoolboy after a scolding from his teacher. "Wouldn't it have been easier to keep her prisoner and continue as planned?"

"We have tried this before and each time we captured her or one of her friends, the others come to rescue her. This is something I cannot afford if I wish to live long enough to see my plan come to fruition." Feeling as though he had come with a satisfying excuse, he asked. "Have I calmed your worries or do I have to paint a clearer image for you?"

"No your majesty, I have understood." With that, Cedric bowed his head and left the study; leaving Phobos to sink back into his seat and wishing Will to return as soon as possible.


	16. Chapter 16

For two days Gwen had been spending the night at Elyon's house and by now, the young princess was hoping Danny got her sister's heater fixed. She still saw Gwen as her new best friend and enjoyed their time together, but she missed being able to have a restful sleep. For the past two nights, all Gwen wanted to do after getting to Elyon's house was eat, watch scary movies, discuss the movies, and inform her about the ins and outs of the crawler species. Elyon was sure that she could have gone a lifetime without knowing that a male crawler's horns became engorged with blood and turned red during mating season to attract a mate. She could have also gone on living without knowing how crawlers occasionally rolled in the dung of their kills to hide their scent from other animals and make it easier to hunt. Furthermore, she was a little worried and excited to visit Ero; excited because she would get the chance to meet her extended family and worried that her parents might change their mind at the last minute. Lastly, she was paired up with Arty for Science class and hated every minute of the lesson. Whenever she tried to pick up a fuse or cable to perform the circuit experiment, Arty would take it out of her hand with an excuse that electronics aren't a women's element. After the fifth time he took something from her, she wished she knew enough of her powers to zap him with lightning. It also didn't help that he had skipped brushing his teeth that morning and she was certain she could smell the garlic bread on his breath he had for dinner.

Her agony continued when Arty decided to attempt to join her for lunch. Grinding her teeth, Elyon endured. She concentrated on her tray of questionable food as Arty followed her like a lost duckling; every step she took, Elyon could smell Arty's breath behind her and she wondered if it would kill him to brush them once in his life. Just as she was about to sit at a randomly selected table, she heard the voices of her friends close by. This was confirmed when she heard her name being called from close by.

"HEY ELYON, COME SIT WITH US!" the voice was Danny's; she was sitting two tables away, frantically waving her arm like it was a signal fire. Seeing this as her only chance, Elyon quickly turned on her heels and rushed to the table with her friends. Of course, Arty was quick to follow her, but the closer she got to her friends, the further Arty kept his distance. By the time Elyon took her seat by her friends, Arty had moved to another table.

"Wow, you got one smelly stalker on your case." Chuckled Danny and lightly elbowed Elyon's arm. "I can smell him from here."

"That is Arty, and he can't get it into his head that I am not interested in him. I just don't like guys who think I can't do things because I am a girl." Muttered Elyon as she poked at the questionable food. Normally, mac & cheese shifted or jiggled when pocked, but not at Sheffield. With a tired sight, Elyon turned to Danny and asked. "So, when is your brother going to fix Gwen's heater?"

"Is my little goblin beginning to bother you?" Again, Danny let out a hearty chuckle that seemed to warm the moods of the rest of the table mates.

"Well, she is great to hang around…"

"But she tires you out and eats like a horse. Tony and Ella got the parts yesterday, so they are going to work on it today when Ella gets off. By tomorrow, she will be off your hands." Danny finished before finishing her plate of cafeteria food. As suspected, it didn't have much in terms of flavor and it settled in her stomach like a rock. Elyon shamefully hung her head; she hadn't meant to insult Danny's sister.

"I like Gwen…" was Elyon's weak attempt to save the situation, not realizing that Danny didn't feel offended.

"I have no doubt you do, but I am her sister and knew her since the day she was born. She is a gremlin with a hollow leg. She is good in small doses, but not on the regular. As for that Arty fellow, just stick around me if he bothers you. I'll scare him away for you." As she got up to take her tray away, she gently patted Elyon on her shoulder as a way to motivate Elyon to keep her chin up. The young Princess only poked at the remainder of her food; she was glad that Arty was leaving her alone for the rest of lunch and that Gwen's heater would soon be fixed, she wished she could have dealt with Arty on her own and didn't have to rely on Danny to solve her problems.

XXXXX

At the end of the school day, Irma and Danny slowly walked together, trying to avoid the puddles of brown slush that the cars had sprayed on the sidewalk. While Irma walked slowly and with her head hung in shame after failing another history test, Danny was nearly pouncing on her toes from excitement. If Will was to be believed, then she would soon see the other world her cousin had told her about. She wondered what Will's castle looked like, what the animals looked like, what the plants looked like, and what the people were like. From the clues Irma had given her, the world seemed stuck in the middle ages and, from what Danny had learned in school, the middle ages were the best with experimental beers and liquors. Certainly, Will would allow her to explore the local pubs for a bit, but how would she pay for anything in that world? Perhaps one of the pub keepers would give her a free-be for being the cousin of a guardian.

"Do you know of any good pubs to visit when I get there?"

"What makes you think that we will take you to any pub when we get to Meridian? You might not get the chance to see it until after Will gets back from Ero. I mean, Will is going to talk with Phobos and there is a chance that he will say yes, but she didn't make any promises. Besides, I don't know of any good pubs, even if we went to Meridian." Irma tried to calm Danny's excitement, as it was very infectious.

"Oh, come on Irms. As a guardian, you never visited a pub, inn, or bar to celebrate a successful fight?"

"Well, we never really celebrated, and we certainly didn't have the time to recreate Coachella in Meridian." At that, Danny laughed, even though it meant she was still in the dark about the alcohol available in Meridian. Nothing could dampen the high spirits the young teen was in. laughing and pouncing like a child on Christmas and feeling invincible, Danny reached into her ragged backpack, which was more duct tape than cloth, where she kept the knife that Janet had found the other day.

"Guess what Janet found for me?" she then pulled the dagger out of her pack, dangling it in front of Irma's eyes like a carrot. "Ain't it perrrty?"

Irma froze in place and every ounce of joy the young woman carried on her face suddenly drained. She recognized the make of the blade and, since it was found in Heatherfield Park, that means there was only one way it could have gotten there.

"What's a matter Irms? You look like you saw a ghost."

"Remember the reason I told why Will married Phobos?" asked Irma, her voice slightly trembling.

"Yeah, your rebel friend did some voodoo bullshit with that vampire chick. What does that gotta do with anything?"

"Then you also remember about the assassination attempts." Slowly, Danny was connecting the dots, but she needed Irma to confirm her suspicions. When Irma saw in her cousin's eyes that she understood, the young water-witch continued. "That blade was made in Meridian and the only way it could have gotten in Heatherfield part was if…"

Irma's voice choked up when she remembered the sight of her former enemy bandaged like a mummy in the Inbetween and how wrecked Will was over everything; it was a troubling time that Irma didn't like to remember.

"If it was used on the second assassination attempt." Danny finished her cousin's sentence before looking at the dagger in her hands. She remembered how Janet had sniffed it and Phobos's name. This blade had been covered in the blood of someone she knew and, if Janet's nose could be believed, it still held some remnants of his blood; probably in the hilt where the blade met the wood. With her mouth agape, Danny let the dagger role in the palm of her hand. "Narly. Then, you think I could keep it? You know, since the attacker can't really get it back."

"Yeah, I don't think Will or Phobos want that thing considering its' history." Replied Irma and took a step away from the dagger. Danny only looked at the dagger in her hands; she had never had a blade this nice. Anything she ever owned in her life was a hand-me-down; worn, broken, old. Compared to everything else, this was new and working. The knife was of very good quality and sharp as a diamond; however, knowing it was used to hurt someone she knew dampened her desire for it. Seeing how her cousin's enthusiasm faded, Irma forced a smile and playfully shoved Danny's shoulder. "Now cheer up Danny. The knife can't help what it was used for and you always wanted one like it."

"You got a point Irms." Danny gave a weak smile as she pocketed the blade, "Besides, maybe I can redeem its' blade at some point."

With this little hiccup over, Irma and Danny continued their journey to Danny's house, where Janet lay on the sofa in her human form watching television. She couldn't really understand what the flashing images from the box were telling her, but its' sound and images were comforting to her. While Danny and Gwen were at school and Ella, Mike, and the others were at work the Crawler was left with only Roger for company; Roger, unlike the rest of her heard, wasn't a lot of fun to be around. When Janet saw Danny return home, she made a move to jump off the sofa and greet her family member, only to relax again when Danny waved her off; only letting out a tired snort. Seeing that Janet was in her human form relaxed Irma a little, but the sight of the Crawler still unnerved her. The moment the door closed behind them, Danny threw her backpack on the floor and headed to the kitchen, where she treated herself to a cold beer from the refrigerator. Before opening it, she offered the can to Irma, who shook her head as though she was being presented with an injection needle.

"Nah, I'm good. I prefer something warm in this climate."

"I could warm it up in the microwave, but it would give you Vietnam like flashbacks of the worse time you've been sick." Replied Danny with a chuckle before drinking nearly half the can in a single gulp. "I prefer cold things any time of the year."

"You still shouldn't drink that stuff all the time. You are underage, it will wreck your liver, and it will give you a beer-gut when you get older."

"Hey, if I get lucky, my gut will move to my ass and I'll finally have one."

"You'd have one if you finally ate like a normal person, instead of the garbage compactor." Irma helped herself to a bottle of water out of the fridge, grimacing only when she saw that an entire shelf was dedicated to various cans of beer and cheap liquor. Irma knew most of the alcohol was meant for Roger, but she still worried about her cousin's health. Danny was reckless and often did things that would endanger her health simply for the thrill of it. Just as Irma was about to chew her cousin's ear off for being so near to various alcoholic beverages, the phone rang saving Danny from hours of Irma's lecturing. The phone was an old-fashioned, wall hanging, telephones with a cord that had turned yellow over the years; most of the buttons had faded to the numbers were gone and the 0 button carried a mysterious brown stain that made Danny think that the phone had an internal fire at some point. When Danny answered, the warm and weathered voice of Mr. Olsen greeted her.

"Hello, this is Mr. Olsen from Olsen's Pet Shop and Supplies, may I speak with Daniella H. Downing?"

"Oh hello Mr. Olsen, you are speaking to her right now. I wasn't expecting a call from you until Friday."

"I said I would wait until Friday to give others a chance to apply as well, but I haven't had anyone else apply and I just got a heavy shipment of dog food. If I say that you got the job, can you come over and give me a hand with it? My grandson can't help me today because he is at band practice and I haven't been able to get him on his phone. I can't do this order on my own."

"You can count on my Mr. Olsen. I'll be there in a jiffy!" with that, she hung up and beamed a smile at her cousin. "Looks like I got the job for now."

"The job at Mr. Olsen's pet shop?" asked Irma while Danny finished the rest of her beer, crushed the can, threw it into the sink, and rushed out the door. As the door swung wildly behind Danny, Irma shouted after her cousin, "You could at least pay me for babysitting your crawler and uncle!"

Danny didn't hear her cousin, the wind whistled in her ears as she ran like the wind through the cold and frozen streets of Heatherfield. Today she got the job at Olsen's shop and tomorrow she would visit Meridian; life could be so sweet sometimes. Danny ran so fast, that she cut the 15-minute journey to the shop down to 5; panting like a wild horse, she burst into the warm shop with a smile on her face big enough that it seemed to crack her face. "I am here as you ordered!"

"Great to have you here Daniella," Mr. Olsen greeted her from behind the register and pointed to a pallet stacked high with 20lbs bags of dog food. "I need the middle shelf in the dogfood aisle stocked with these bags, then I need the new order behind the shop brought into the back, when that is done you can sweep up the floor and head home. I pay $12 an hour and you get to keep any tip you make. I tried to call my grandson again, but I don't think he can hear his phone."

"I'll get the job done before you can say licked-split!" replied Danny and hurried over to the stock of bags. As neatly as she could, she stocked the shelf so the cartoon dog on the font all faced the same way and, when she was done, Mr. Olsen led her behind the store where the new order had been delivered. Cracking her knuckles, Danny began her work of carrying the boxes of supplies into storage. Quietly, she whistled a random tune to herself as she carried one box after another.

XXXXX

Matt felt annoyed and angry with himself that he missed his grandfather's calls. He had been so engrossed in his band practice that he never noticed his phone ring and buzz. Certainly, his grandfather had forgotten about some heavy delivery and was now stuck doing the back-breaking labor on his own. Without thinking of saying hello to his grandfather, Matt walked behind the store where the deliveries were usually placed, preparing himself to carry one box after another. Once he rounded the corner, he was stunned for a moment to see that boy from school; why was he here? When he picked up one of the boxes, Matt rushed over. "Hey, what do you think you are doing? I won't let you steal that!"

"Huh?" Danny raised an eyebrow at the blue-eyed boy in front of her. Did he really just insinuated that she was stealing boxes of pet supplies? "Um, I work here. Mr. Olsen hired me to help around the store."

"What?" asked Matt and stared at the complete scenario. The boxes were neatly stacked, the door to the storage room stood wide open, and a few of the orders were stacked neatly inside.

"I am here to replace Will and help out in the store. I am guessing you are Mr. Olsen's grandson? He said you didn't answer your phone, so I was hired. I am almost done with placing the orders into storage, then I just have to sweep the floor and get paid." Danny continued as she carried another box as if it weight nothing.

"No, I saw the application papers. My grandfather only had one and the applicant's name was Daniella H. Downing. Last I checked, Daniella was a girl's name." at that, Danny set down the box she had been carrying and looked down at herself. She knew she didn't fully look like the other girls in her class, but she didn't remember selling herself as a boy. Maybe Matt had poor eye-sight?

"Daniella is my name and I am a girl. I would show you, but I don't feel like performing a striptease for a guy I don't know jack-shit about."

Matt took a step back and blushed heavily at what Danny said. Squinting at her, it finally dawned on him that this boy, wasn't a boy at all, but a flat-chested girl. Realizing this, his cheeks turned a deeper shade of crimson; he should have realized that Danny was a girl the day he didn't see her in the boy's locker room during P.E.

"Anyway, I think it is pretty shitty of you to leave your grandpa' to do all this work on his own while you fart off to play in some band." Muttered Danny and carried more boxes into storage. This snapped Matt out of his embarrassed stupor and he marched after Danny, ready to chew her out for what she said. After all, he hadn't known his help would be needed.

"Hey, I didn't know grandpa' needed me. Had I known; I would have canceled practice with my band. There is no need to be this snippy with me! Besides, I am your superior since I have worked here longer than you have."

"I'm gonna call you out whenever you pull some bullshit. Besides, your creepy stares have been pissing me since I started school and I bet your guitar isn't even tuned right." Replied Danny as she finished her task and picked up a broom without even glancing in Matt's direction.

"I stared at you because of the way you dressed, and my guitar is tuned just the way I like it!"

"So, you think it is alright to stare at a person for the way they dress? Also, what you are saying means your guitar tuning is shit." Replied Danny, knowing she could get away with shit-talking her employer's grandson since Mr. Olsen was busy in the office with filing the orders and checking inventory.

"Your fashion is my guitar tuning." Matt said with a smirk, thinking that he caught Danny in a fault in her logic; however, he was sorely mistaken.

"One, I know my fashion suck and I don't really care. Second, know that I am always right even when I am wrong. Lastly, you should know that I am going to rip your fingernail off should you play that horribly tuned piece-of-shit you call a guitar anywhere near me." She then turned on her heel and smirked at Matt the same way he had smirked at her. "So, don't act tough around me if you can't even correctly guess what genitals I got." She then returned to her task of sweeping the floors.


	17. Chapter 17

For a moment, Matt stood there in the pet shop frozen and unable to comprehend what this girl had just threatened him with. This girl who did not even look like one, could not dress like a sane person, smelled of beer and white bread, and probably could not even play the guitar was threatening him in his grandfather's store which she just started working in. What gave this girl the confidence to talk to him like that? After a moment, he caught himself and snapped back. "Do you know who you are talking to?"

"I do and it doesn't matter to me. You are not my employer, you don't pay my wages, and so far all you have done was annoy me and insinuate that I am a boy and a thief. Give me one reason to be nice to you?" replied Danny as she finished sweeping the floor. Deciding she still had time to work and gain a little extra, she returned to the back and unpacked a few of the orders to restock the cat food section. As she expected, Matt followed her like a lost duckling. However, when she pulled out the dagger to cut open the tape keeping one of the many order boxes shut, Matt froze once again. He had hoped never to see that cursed object again in his life. He had spent countless nights since the incident awake at night hoping he could be forgiven one day. On some nights, he still dreamt that his hands were bloody. He remembered that Caleb had thrown the knife into the pond that day; how did Danny get her hands on it?

"W-w-where did you get that knife?" his voice shook as his eyes remained fixed on the glint of the metal as Danny cut the tape like soft butter.

"My cousin found it." Replied Danny without looking up from her task. "It is pretty neat and sharp as Hell. I should get a cover for it before I cut myself with it." She then looked over her shoulder at Matt as she stalked her arms with cans. "You can't have it and it is not for sale. Finders-keepers-losers-weepers."

Back in the store, Matt continued to observe her as she skillfully placed one can after another on the shelves. Feeling his eyes dig into her back, Danny sighed and shot him a look at reflected her annoyance with him. "How about you keep them peepers to yourself before I poke them out with my knife and the girls hate you more than they already do since you broke Will's heart and chased her into the arms of the alien prince."

"Wait, you know-" before Matt could finish, Danny finished for him.

"About the W.I.T.C.H. or W.I.T.H, considering Cornelia farted-off to be a typical mean girl from a bad Highschool movie? Yeah, I know about it and how you broke up with Will because you were scared or something. Quite frankly, I think Will is better off with that Phobos dude since he is putting up with her, her friends, and the souvenir from Canada that is me. No girl like Will should take a guy like you back after the shit you pulled." For a moment, Matt was glad that Danny didn't mention the assassination attempt, which probably meant that she didn't know he was involved in it; however, then she continued talking. "Besides, he is probably better at satisfying her than you ever could."

"Hey, that was uncalled for!"

"Uncalled for? Will is my buddy and you messed with her heart. You better earn 10 Nobel Prizes to get off my shit list. Until then, I'll talk to you however I like. Now, I'll tell your grandfather that I am done, go home, and prepare to visit this Meridian place tomorrow that you were so scared of." With that, she left Matt standing in the store with his mind and emotions a wreck as all the old wounds from the break-up opened up again.

XXXXX

For her work at the shop, Danny earned herself $20 under the table and returned home with the biggest grin she had since leaving Canada. When her house came into view she saw that Ella had just returned home and was busy trying to clean the motor-oil from her hands in the kitchen sink; Irma was still there and had just finished her bundle of homework. It was clear by the look on her face that the young water-witch was glad she was no longer alone with Roger and Janet. When she heard Danny return, Irma looked up from her Math worksheet and smiled brightly. "So, you got the job. How was it?

"Easiest 20 bucks I have ever earned, and I got to rip into that Matt kid who has been staring at me all week." Replied Danny and helped herself to another beer from the 'fridge.

"You didn't tear into him too bad, did you?" Irma knew how Danny's verbal tongue lashing could affect someone and, despite the fact that Matt broke her best friend's heart, she didn't think Matt deserved a verbal beating.

"That dingoes thought I was a dude this entire time. Of course, I tore into his ass. He even looked over my shoulder because he thought I was a thief. I don't care if he is your buddy in some way, shape, or form but I'll beat that dude down a peg if he keeps being this weird to me."

"To his defense, you do look like a guy on some days but, yeah, it is weird how he had been staring at you. I thought he might have a crush on you." Replied Irma and accepted the beer that Danny had set in front of her. She didn't like it, but she was thirsty and didn't know if she could trust the tap water.

"Crush on me? He thought I was a dude until I just told him. Besides, I think he still got a thing for Will; he didn't take it too lightly when I said that she is better off with the alien prince."

"Yeah, he was pretty beaten-up about that. I think he really did love Will and made an honest mistake when he broke up with her. He tried to undo his mistake immediately, but by then Will had accepted Phobos. I was hoping we could all be friends, but it hasn't been going well." Muttered Irma, but Danny wouldn't have it.

"Mistake or not, you don't break things off with a girl because you got scared; that is not what people do. What people with brains do is talk things out like you and me. I am scared shitless about this whole Crawler stuff, but I don't leave my family because I am scared. If I even did that once, they could never trust me again. Matt should have known that, and this is why I don't think he deserves her. He should just move on." Irma couldn't argue with Danny on the issue of trust; how could the entire group trust Matt if he abandoned one of them even once. When neither girls spoke a word for a while, Danny asked, "So, why are you still here? I thought you'd go home the moment Ella got here."

"I was." Replied Irma as a playful smile returned to her lips. "Ella asked where you were. She wanted to go with you to the woods outside of Heathfield to track one of the Crawlers. I wanted to come along and see what you do."

"Oh, so you wanted a free safari?" Danny chuckled and shook her head at her cousin. "Well, if you can hang you can be part. However, once we are on location there is no going back. You'll be stuck on that trip until the end."

"I am not going to pull a Matt. You are stuck with me until the day we die." Laughed Irma, glad that the heavy atmosphere that grew between them when they talked about Matt's actions was gone now. This was how their relationship worked; they could argue, discuss things, fight, but always laughed with each other at the end of the day. It was then that Ella entered the room, her hair wet from the shower, and dressed in full camouflage and a heavy duffle bag settled on her shoulder.

"Danny, Irma is staying overnight and will accompany us to the tracking of an old male Crawler. We will see about finding him, tranquilize him, and placing a tracker on him. He has been sighted a few times last summer but hasn't attacked any people. Still, we should know where he is in case that senior decides he still has the gumption to sack a camper or hiker." Explained Ella as she shoved a few slices of white bread into her mouth; she hadn't had dinner and was unsure if she had the chance to eat anything that night.

Excitedly, Irma and Danny exchanged grins and bolted to the van, fighting over who got to sit in the front. Danny won.

XXXXX

The next day, Irma could barely keep her eyes open during class. Their last night's hunt wasn't successful in the slightest. The only Crawler den they found through the snow had been abandoned for a while. Even though she was terrified of Crawlers, Irma wanted to learn as much as she could about her cousin's family profession; maybe she could help Danny and Ella in the future. She was a guardian and her role was to serve and protect, so this was just another part of her job. Besides, she reasoned that Crawlers were a vital part of the ecosystem like spiders and lions; both scared her equally to Crawlers. Danny, on the other hand, was fresh as a daisy and excited because Will said they would see Meridian today.

Danny couldn't wait to visit Meridian; Will had told the group that Phobos would wait for them at the school gates. Danny was so excited that she couldn't even listen to her lessons or care that Matt was throwing her dirty glances; she guessed that he was still sore about the truth she laid on him the other day. All Danny could think about was Meridian and what it would look like. Despite never enjoying the fantasy movies that Ella made her watch, Danny imagined that the castle would look like the one from Disney; sure, she could have asked Irma for more details, but she didn't want to spoil anything for herself. Elyon, unlike Danny, was excited to visit Meridian for another reason.

Despite being scared off by her friends yesterday, Arty had attacked himself to her again today. He followed her to every class they shared, actively kept her from talking to other male students, kept her from doing labs during Science class, and attempted to hold her hand whenever he got the chance. If Arty bothered to let Elyon be herself, participate in class, talk to her classmate, and brushed his teeth she would consider going on a date with him, but he didn't so she didn't; she hoped he would catch the hint and leave her alone.

For both girls, the day passed as slow as molasses on a cold day.

Finally, the school day ended, and Danny rushed like hornets were chasing her out of the school and to the gates where her friends were already waiting for her. As she knew, Phobos was waiting there with Will at his side; what surprised Danny was the lack of eyebrow tattoos.

"Yo folks, I'm ready to go!" by the time she reached her friends, Danny was out of breath with excitement.

"We are still waiting for Elyon. She is supposed to come with us to Ero." Replied Phobos and looked in the direction of the school's doors, waiting for his sister to emerge. He was glad when she finally stepped out of the doors but wondered who that boy was that was trailing her; by the look on her face, she seemed tired and annoyed by him. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked the group. "Who is the boy with Elyon, is he one of her friends?"

Irma quickly glanced over her shoulder before she replied with a whisper, "That is Arthur McBunds. Everyone calls him Arty and he is an annoying pest. He can't take 'No' for an answer and seems to be allergic to toothpaste. He has been tailgating Elyon for months now and no matter what she says, he won't leave her alone."

"I heard a rumor saying that he pretends she is his girlfriend to his parents." Added Taranee.

"Why don't you play 'Big Brother' and scare that guy away from her?" suggested Will, which earned her a confused and uncertain look from her husband.

"Are you sure I should? Shouldn't the faculty be the ones responsible for the student's safety?"

"We will be retired by the time the teachers get around to doing something. Just scare him a little and leave." Added Hay-Lyn.

"Now go be a proper big brother and protect your sister." Ordered Will and elbowed her husband into action, as Phobos left the group he joked.

"Isn't protecting her what you four are for?"

When Elyon saw her brother, she felt both excited and worried; excited because she was certain Arty would be scared off by him and worried because she didn't know what her brother would do.

"Hello Sissy, it has been a while since I've seen you. How is school?" he asked as he maneuvered himself between his sister and Arty and gently placed a hand on her back to usher her away from the school creep.

"Keep your hands off m'lady. Who do you think you are to handle her so roughly?" to Arty, this stranger was encroaching on his chances with the girl of his dreams and he was certain that he was close to breaking her social shell and convince her to be his girlfriend.

Phobos looked over his shoulder at the boy, jerked his head back a bit, raised an eyebrow, and grimaced; Irma was right about the reek from this kid. The smell reminded Phobos of that creature the girls called Blunk. Gently she pushed her further away from this kid, worried that the smell was contagious. "Elyon, why don't you go and join your friends while I speak with your little friend."

"Please don't do something scary or stupid." Whimpered Elyon as she worried that Arty would be turned into a toad or burnt stain on the pavement.

"When have I ever done something idiotic?" he replied and let her go to the girls before turning his full attention to the boy. "So, who do you think I am?"

"Some creepy adult who is trying to steal my girl. You look like a prissy-boy too with your long hair. No real man would wear his hair like that." Replied Arty, he had never been able to control his anger even when his mother sent him to therapy.

"Interesting observation." Replied Phobos before dropping his voice to a level only Arty could hear. "What I look like is none of your concern. As for who I am, Elyon is my little sister and I can guarantee you that there is no Sweet Home Alabama music playing at home. She told me you annoy her to no end and won't listen when she tells you to leave her alone. The faculty might turn a blind eye to your antics, but I won't." despite the smell, Phobos leaned a little closer to the boy and showed him the demented smile he had perfected over the years. It was the type of smile where the mouth showed a full, toothy grin but the eyes remained cold and reflected the desire to kill. "Should I hear from her that you keep bothering her, I won't hesitate to break every single bone in your worthless body and hide you in a place where no one will ever find you." He finished with a smile as all the color drained from Arty's face and the boy quickly turned to run away. Certain that the problem was solved and proud with himself that he remembered some of the joke-culture Will told him about her world, he returned to the group.

"We saw Arty run for the hills. Did he get the message?" asked Hay-Lyn as she watched Arty run like the devil was on him.

"I am certain he did," he replied and addressed his sister. "He didn't say a word, but I doubt he will continue to bother you, Elyon."

"You didn't threaten to kill him, did you?" Asked Elyon, worried that her brother's actions would reflect poorly on her.

"Elyon, I am appalled that you'd think so low of your only brother." He pressed his hand against his chest as though his heart was breaking. "All I did was solve your little problem. A simple 'Thank you' would have sufficed."

"Glad to see you managed to teach him how to be normal." Joked Irma and Will only shrugged in return.

"He is an easy student." She then turned to her husband and asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Let me guess. You used that demented smile?"

"My dear, you know me too well." He replied with a calm smile, glad that his wife approved of his actions. Since returning from the cabin, Will had been giving him tips on how to act more like a brother towards Elyon.

"I am supposed to." Will then turned to Elyon and asked, "Why didn't you tell us that you needed help with Arty? You know you can count on us to help you with your problems."

"Will is right," added Taranee. "We didn't act sooner because we weren't sure what you wanted us to do."

"I didn't say anything to you guys because this was my problem and I wanted to solve it on my own." Replied Elyon, ashamed for not reaching out for help sooner.

"Elyon, you have five loyal friends, an entire kingdom, and me to help you. There are no excuses for not asking for help." Phobos then leaned a little closer to his sister and whispered, "Plus, you might run the risk of ending like me, if you don't ask for help."

This earned him a smack on the back from Will and uncontrolled laughter from the rest of the group. Elyon simply smiled and nodded at her brother, unsure why he was acting this much out of character. Perhaps he was acting like this to please Will?

After collecting themselves, the group made their way to Cedric's bookshop. Just before they left through the school gates, Danny caught a glance of Matt staring after them; she guessed that he desired to go with them to Meridian, but to Danny, that boat had sailed a long time ago. Without losing another thought about Matt, Danny kept up with her group and hummed the tune to her favorite song, "Rise the jugs," by a German band called Versengold.

Xxxxx

While life was going smoothly for the friends, others were plotting their schemes in secret. While Caleb had discovered the portal leading to Ero shortly after he dreamed about it, Armana was keeping herself busy. As Ionah had advised, she wrote a letter of affection to Orlan and included a handkerchief sprinkled with her perfume. At first, she felt ashamed and doubted that it would even work, but as Ionah had predicted, King Orlan returned her letter with one just as affectionate, with the difference being that his was genuine. Apparently, the relationship with Princess Flùr wasn't going as he had expected. Despite being engaged for over a year, Flùr insisted on waiting with marriage which bothered the King greatly since he expected to marry the young maiden and sire many heirs with her. What shocked Armana, was that Orlan had invited himself into his kingdom and would arrive the next day. If it weren't for Ionah encouraging her, she would have fled the kingdom to avoid spending another second in his presence; the night he had defiled her she bathed for 4 hours straight. Then again, her looks were her greatest weapons until she could get rid of the Meridian threat and unearth the sleeping army under the old temple.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Yeah, I am sorry for the long break between chapters. Corona has been affecting my area and, without being able to leave the house, I am lacking the inspiration to flesh out the story. I have a layout, but can't post a skeleton because you folks deserve better. This is one of the last filler episodes before the day the Escanor's reach Ero, which is when the fun really begins. In the meantime, enjoy some cousin and sibling fluff.


	18. Chapter 18

At the bookshop, the group walked in on Miranda and Cedric happily chatting about her journeys through Metarmoor since the royal wedding. Cedric hung on her every word as though her lips dripped precious gems and was rather annoyed when they were interrupted, even when that interruption was accompanied by his childhood friend.

"Sorry for interrupting, we won't be here long. We just wanted to show Danny Meridian since she is now an ally of ours." Will smiled weakly as she ushered Danny past the counter.

"Do you really think that introducing half of Heatherfield to Meridian is a wise idea?" asked Cedric in a snide way; Will might be the queen in Meridian, but in Heatherfield she was still just a schoolgirl.

"Welp, too late buddy. I am already here, and I am not leaving until I see that place. So, either let them show it to me or get ready to hear me sing my favorite songs until the end of time every day you work here." Replied Danny before the others had a chance to jump to Will's defense. To keep a fight from starting, Phobos spoke up.

"Cedric, it is alright. Danny will be under supervision and she won't leave the castle. She already knows everything and has been of good service to Will and I; it is only fair to include her."

Though Cedric didn't like Will and how she helped herself to all the services of Meridian, but he was in no position to argue with his King, so he acquiesces to the Queen's demand. With silent thank-you's and an odd glare from Danny, the group walked past the register and to the bookshelf that hid the portal. The bookshelf had recently been equipped with small wheels to help move it since Will frequently used it. The moment the blue shimmer of the portal was revealed, Danny let out a low whistle.

"Wow, looks like something from a Las Vegas show."

"Wait 'till you see what is on the other side." Chimed Irma as she jumped through the portal as though it was a cool pool on a hot summer day. One by one, Danny watched her friends step through the portal until she was the only one left. With one quick glance to Cedric and Miranda, she took a deep breath and thought.

Here goes nothing.

With her eyes shut tight, she stepped through the portal. At first, Danny didn't know what to expect; she remembered encountering the Inbetween for the first time and how she didn't even realize she had gone to another place. Then again, she had managed to fall from the railing an orbit the house for a while; if the same thing happened in Meridian, Danny would make Irma pay for ever convincing her to visit.

"Danny, you can open your eyes now." Said Irma, but Danny shook her head.

"Nope, I am not falling off another railing. I got so dizzy orbiting that crazy house that I nearly vomited. That ain't happening today."

"Danny, this isn't the Inbetween and there is no railing to fall off of. In fact, you are missing out on the nice vaulted ceilings in this place." Irma teased, knowing that Danny was a sucker for old architecture. As expected, Danny slowly cracked her green eye open and tilted her head up. Within seconds, Danny's head was tilted back and her eyes were glued to the ceiling.

"Wow, that actually is a pretty high ceiling. How do you clean it? Irma, you gonna have to be my guide god. I won't be able to take my eyes off this ceiling." Said Danny as she held out her hand for Irma to take.

"Danny, you are being weird again, and now in front of my friends. Could you be normal, just this once?" whined Irma as she gave her friend a gentle shaking.

"Irma, you know me better than this." Replied Danny, winning the minor battle between her and her cousin. With a defeated sigh, Irma took hold of her hand and began to lead her out of the library. With that, the tour began; all the while, Danny either looked at the ceiling or managed to tear her eyes from the vaulted ceiling long enough to glance out the windows, where she caught sight of the village beyond the castle walls. "What is going on in that place?"

"Danny, one adventure after another. Right now, we are introducing you to this place. Doggy paddle Danny; doggy paddle." Answered Irma, slowly regretting taking Danny to Meridian.

After a few more stops at the infirmary, another library, and other rooms of significance, the group got to a large dark-wood door. With a smile that tour guides were famous for, Phobos addressed the group. "And this is the throne room. We usually receive high ranking guests and family friends here. In a way, it is like a fancy office. However, most work is done in private studies."

With that, the King pushed open the large door; it groaned loudly as he did. The moment the door was open, Will saw two figures standing in the middle, talking to each other. She immediately recognized Julian; however, she didn't recognize the young girl by his side. The woman was about Taranee's height, with short hair that got longer near the front and an odd purple color. Her eyes were a shimmering beige color that reminded Will of sunlit sand at the beach. The woman was very pretty in her azure-colored robe and fitting brown shoes, but Will couldn't place her. She looked high ranking and important, but Will didn't know where she was from. She wasn't from Meridian, that much the young queen could tell and she wasn't from Ero either as the fashion of clothes didn't fit. With a surprise in her voice and a raised eyebrow, she looked up at her husband. "Were we expecting any guests?"

"I wasn't informed of any guests." Replied Phobos in a hushed voice as they approached their guests.

"Julian, it is great to see you." Said Will as she offered Caleb's father a friendly hug. Since his son's exile, Julian had been a little more recluse, but he still ventured into the village and went about his day; however, when his son was mentioned, the life visibly drained from his face. Will felt horrible for the cards life dealt Julian, but there was little she could do about it.

"It is great to see you as well Will," he then turned to Phobos and offered his new King a friendly smile. Julian still didn't fully approve of Phobos, but he had to admit that life got significantly better since the royal marriage. If things continued on this path, then he might be proud to call Phobos his King one day. "It is also an honor to meet you, your highness."

"If Wilhelmina allows you to address her by her name, then you are given the same privilege from me. Simply call me Phobos from now on." Replied Phobos and Julian offered a thankful bow as the rest of the guardians rushed over to greet their old friend.

"Julian, how have you been? We haven't seen you in ages!" asked Hay-Lyn as she hugged the man that was like a second father to her.

"Julian, have you taken up a new job? I mean, most of the rebellion members did." Asked Taranee as she hugged one arm.

"Julian, what do you think of Meridian now? Is it all you hoped for? I think things turned out pretty snazzy!" asked Irma as she grabbed hold of his other arm.

Unsure of where to stand, Elyon remained close to Danny and kept her mouth shut. She barely knew Julian and was uncomfortable meeting new people in Meridian. She was still uncertain of the different ranks and how to properly address them. However, her focus was still on her sister-in-law and her brother, so she didn't notice when Danny slinked out of the room.

"Girls, please, I still need to breathe. I have then up the trade of a carpenter and I am happy about how things are developing in Meridian. Now please let me go before I fall over!" Julian laughed as he freed himself of his friends and started to explain to the girls how his life had turned out since the wedding. Seeing they were no longer needed, Will and Phobos turned their attention to their other guest.

"Welcome to Meridian. May we ask your name? I don't think we have met yet." Asked Will as she gave their guest a friendly handshake.

"I am Orube. I have been chosen by the Oracle to replace Cornelia. I assume you know that the guardians require five members to fully function. In addition, I have been designated to protect you, Will." Answered their purple-haired guest with a soft smile before leaning in and whispering, "You two can't keep the pregnancy a secret forever."

The color nearly completely drained from both Will and Phobos; they had been so occupied keeping the pregnancy a secret from friends and family members, that they completely forgot about the Oracle. Of course, he would know and take measures to keep Will safe during this trying time; he probably knew long before Will conceived. Seeing the pale complexion on the royal couple's face, Orube smiled at them and whispered. "Don't worry, I know how to keep a secret."

"Thank you." Whispered Phobos with a sigh just as Irma broke free from Julian and approached their new member.

"Wait, you are Cornelia's replacement?" asked Irma with shock and surprise in her voice. "Does that mean Cornelia isn't going to come back? Does that mean you can control plants? Why was Cornelia replaced? Who are you anyway?"

"Irma, this is Orube and she will be replacing Cornelia because the Heart requires five guardians." Answered Will so Orube wouldn't need to repeat herself.

"To answer your other questions, I was chosen by the Oracle and his council and do more than act as a replacement guardian. I also act as a protector to Queen Wilhelmina on her journey to Ero. With my strength and perception, I'll be of perfect use."

"Wait, why do I need protection when going to Ero? We are just visiting extended family." Asked Will and Orube only shrugged in response.

"He didn't say. I was just given my orders."

"Sounds like the Oracle alright, cryptic and unclear." Replied Irma with annoyance before returning her focus to Orube. "What are your abilities? Cornelia had a lot under her belt."

"I am a good fighter and fast on my feet. I also have a little control over energy, if that answers your question." Replied Orube just as Hay-Lyn noticed that Danny had gone missing.

"Umm, guys, have any of you seen where Danny wandered off to?" asked Hay-Lyn as she pointed to the spot where Danny had stood. Surprised, Elyon looked beside her where she thought Danny stood, only to see thin air.

"Oh no, where could she be?" asked Irma as she rushed to the entry door and looked into the hallway; she had a small hope that she would spot her cousin walking down it, but that hope quickly died. "We have to find her quickly; she is fast on her feet and could be on the other side of the castle in half an hour if we don't find her. I swear she is part squirrel."

"Who is Danny?" asked Orube. She was only told of the original guardians, the royal family, and her mission; the rest, she was told, she would learn when she met them.

"Danny is Irma's cousin. We met her a while ago and she is an ally to us." Replied Will before rushing over to comfort Irma. "Don't worry, we will find her and ask the guards to keep an eye out for her."

"I am not waiting for that. I'm gonna go look for her." Replied Irma as she ran out of the throne room like a storm was on her heels.

"We'll help Irma. I doubt Danny could get into much trouble in just a few minutes." Said Taranee as she and Hay-Lyn followed their friend. "Please get our new team member up-to-date on everything."

Once the other two guardians were out of earshot, Will let out a heavy sigh before turning back to Orube and Julian. "I know we should help find Danny, but Taranee is right I doubt Danny could have gotten far. Orube, it is nice to meet you and I welcome you to the team."

"It is an honor, but may I ask why you and Phobos married? I was only told that he used to be an enemy of the guardians." Asked Orube with a raised brow.

"I am also curious about that," added Julian, causing Will and Phobos to exchange worried glances. Outside of their friends, the council, and Caleb no one knew of the true events that led to their marriage.

"I am also a little fuzzy on the details," added Elyon as she stood beside her brother. "I accept your relationship and am glad for it, but I still don't understand the sudden heel-turn."

"It is a long and convoluted story that involves a lot of attempts on my life. After a nearly successful attempt, Will rescued me and felt sorry enough for my condition to stay by my side as I recovered. Because of this, we were given time to have civil conversations and found a lot in common. From there, we got married and are now standing here." Answered Phobos, hoping that his vague answer would suffice. Sadly, it wasn't.

"And you two didn't wait with marriage because?" asked Julian, wanting more details. He was thankful that his son wasn't mentioned, but he still wanted to learn why Caleb had resolved to the actions he had taken. With a heavy sigh, Will supplied the details.

"Caleb thinks he loves me and asked a potion-brewer to make a poison to kill Phobos. The poison had a side effect that would cause immense amount of pain for Phobos unless he is near me. It is a binding potion used to keep a spouse faithful and it bound Phobos to me. Unless I am near him, Phobos is in pain and I can't live with that on my conscience. When the poison didn't kill Phobos, Caleb attacked him with a knife. I arrived shortly after the attack and, with the help of a friend, took Phobos to a place where he could properly heal. It is accurate that this gave us the chance to become close. After everything, marriage just felt natural." She then turned her full focus on Julian with a sorry expression on her face, "I never asked Caleb to do any of these things. He did those because he thought it would help, but it only made things more complicated. When he had the chance to take responsibility and apologize, he didn't take it. Julian, I am sorry for what happened."

"No need to apologize, Will, I just needed to hear the full story." Replied with a weak smile.

"Why didn't you mention any of this to me?" asked Elyon as she grabbed hold of her brother's arm as though he would fall over dead any moment. "I am your sister; you should know I am here to help!"

"Elyon, there is little you could do to help me. My bond is with Will and there is no cure. We thought we about telling you, but decided against it since we didn't want to cause you any worry." Replied Phobos and gently freed his arm from her iron grip.

"You still should have told me! I know we don't have the closest of sibling relationships, but you still should have told me?" argued Elyon and crossed her arms with a huff.

"I am sorry Elyon, but this isn't much of a concern for you. You are having a minor meltdown over this, which is why I kept my condition a secret from you. Please don't turn this into a bigger thing than it already is." While the two siblings argued over the King's condition, Will turned her attention to Julian and Orube; both were a little shell-shocked over the secret that the couple had kept for so long. Still, there were more things to discuss.

"So, when did you two decide to try for a child?" asked Orube before she could stop herself; part of her had thought that Elyon already knew since she was the Princess of Meridian, but the new guardian quickly learned this wasn't the case. The sudden reveal of their secret caused Will's back to stiffen in shock and all color to, once again, leave the royal couple's faces.

"Quit the ability to keep a secret." Groaned Phobos with a sorry shake of the head. Orube flinched as though struck and looked at her feet in embarrassment.

"MORE SECRETS!" Elyon burst out. Now she felt more than angry, she felt betrayed. Back at the cabin, both Will and Phobos had promised to tell her when they find out. "You both promised me that you'd tell me!"

"Elyon, please keep your voice down." Hissed Phobos and motioned with his hands that she should lower her voice. "We don't need the whole castle to hear the news."

"Why not? Everyone except me seems to know already!" Elyon snapped back and glared daggers at her brother.

"Elyon, barely anyone knows, but the whole kingdom will if you keep shouting. I am begging you to keep your voice down!" replied Phobos, but Elyon wouldn't listen.

"You two promised to tell me the moment you found out! How long have you kept this from me? When did you discover this?" asked Elyon, in respect of her family and their privacy, she did lower her voice a little, but not much.

"We knew since our stay at the cabin, but we were still waiting to tell because of the reactions we were expecting. You blowing up like this is one of the things we worried about. Could you please keep your voice down now?" Phobos snapped back at his sister, his patience wearing thin with her.

"How am I supposed to react to learning that my own brother kept my sister-in-law pregnancy from me?" asked Elyon, her patience wearing thin as well.

"How about congratulations, when is the due date? What are you hoping it will be? Would you two like some help choosing names and furniture for the baby? These are simple things one would expect their family member to ask." Countered Phobos; Elyon had to admit that her blow-up was unnecessary, but her anger still felt justified.

"Who else knows?"

"Other than you, Hay-Lyn threatened to ask the Oracle if Will didn't confess what was going on, so she knows. The Oracle obviously knows; he probably knew this would happen long before any of us even born. Orube knows because she is tasked to keep an eye on Will, and Julian now knows. Altogether five people know; Mrs. Vandom doesn't know and neither does Cedric." Phobos answered his sister's question, glad that she had lowered her voice to a normal level.

"I am still angry that you kept this a secret from me. Not really brotherly of you to keep a secret like this from your only sister." Muttered Elyon and her brother simply patted her shoulder in response.

"Elyon, you have every right to be angry and I am still learning this whole sibling thing." He then leaned in a little closer and whispered, "I am not very good at it and will take a while to learn the details."

Julian, unlike Princess Elyon, simply looked from the King to the Queen in stunned silence before asking Will, "Will, is that true? Are you expecting?"

"Yes, I am." Replied Will in a low mutter, feeling as though confessing a lie to her parents. "We wanted to keep it a secret for a little while because of everything going on and how Irma would react to the news. It hasn't been a full two months yet; we were going to announce the news once we got to the third month. I am sorry Julian." Again, she felt the need to apologize, but Julian would have none of it. Forgetting who they were, Julian first pulled Will into a joyful hug before doing the same to Phobos, adding a proud pat on the King's back; treating the royal like any other soon-to-be father.

"Congratulations, both of you." He said with a light-hearted chuckle. "I can securely keep a secret, but I do wish you two had told me sooner. I could have started on a crib for you two weeks ago."

"We weren't expecting any gifts." Started Phobos, a little rattled at how quickly the man's mood shifted, but appreciative of the man's cheer nonetheless.

"Nonsense," replied Julian, not wanting to hear any excuses. At this point, Will and Phobos might as well be a close neighbor than his rulers. "I am not a man of many means and already felt sorry that I couldn't supply a proper wedding gift. Even if it is never used, at least allow me to gift you two a crib for the baby."

Despite being glad how well Julian, a representative of his citizens, took the news of the baby Phobos still felt awkward accepting any and all gifts from him. Phobos knew Julian used to be the leader of the rebellion before Caleb was handed the torch. Furthermore, Phobos knew it was his mere existence that caused Caleb to be exiled. Lastly, given everything he had done in the past that caused him shame, he was surprised how pleasant this old man was treating him. "Sir, given everything that has happened in the past, it isn't necessary and you should put all your daily work aside for us."

Just as he had with Will, Julian refused to take a rejection from the King. "Will you two just accept a gift from an old man without arguing it? I'll make a small crib for the child and I don't care if you two use it as kindle, just allow me to make this little gift."

Again, Will and Phobos exchanged surprised glanced before returning their attention to Julian. "If you go through the effort of making a crib, we won't use it for kindle." Said Phobos and Will finished the sentence.

"Just don't kill yourself over this."

XXXXX

While the royals discussed the matter of the baby with their friends and the other guardians were running through the castle on the search for their missing friend, Danny had managed to leave the castle, jump the gates without being noticed, and was already halfway down the path that led to the village. Sure, the castle was grand and filled with interesting things, but she wanted to see the village, so to the village, she would go; surely Irma would understand. Before she knew it, she approached the outskirts of the village; the smell of open fires, burning pine wood, baked goods, and warm pubs filled the air. For looking like a medieval village, Danny was surprised she didn't smell manure anywhere. The streets were clear of snow from people going about their travels; seeing the number of people in the streets did worry Danny a little as she didn't exactly fit in with her leather bomber jacket and jeans, but no one seemed to notice her. Since no one gave her odd looks, Danny wandered a little deeper into the town before choosing a random, warm looking, pub that emitted the sound of folk music, laughter, and the smell of alcohol. The moment Danny walked through the door of the pub, the waft of warm air eased the stinging chill of the winter air that was biting her nose and ears. Without hesitation, Danny saddled up to an empty chair at the bar. "Hey mate, how about something for a dry throat?"

"Pay first, stranger. I don't know you; you don't look like you are from around here." Replied the large, stout, bearded man as he eyed Danny's bomber jacket and jeans. Danny, reluctantly, reached into her pocket and pulled out a dollar bill and two quarters.

"What does this get me?"

"I don't recognize this money from any of the kingdoms. Are you trying to pull a fast one on me?" asked the pub keeper with anger at the edge of his voice.

"If I tried that, my sister would beat the life out of me. I am just visiting from Heatherfield and wanted to see the world my friend lives in," replied Danny with a nervous smile; she hadn't considered a change in currency when she jumped the castle gates. Suddenly, any hint of anger and distrust left the pub keeper's face and was replaced with wonder and awe.

"Heatherfield, the place our Queen derives from?" asked the Keeper, worried that he might have misheard the stranger sitting before him.

"You mean Will? Yeah, she invited me to visit this place. Her, her hubby, my cousin Irma, Hay-Lyn, and Taranee brought me here and I decided to explore the town; I got tired of looking at the castle. Why, is it important who I know?" asked Danny, sensing that her connection to the crown even though vague could save her skin. To her joy, the Pub Keeper pulled out a large mug from the shelf behind him and filled it to the brim with deer.

"Not at all. Please enjoy a drink on-the-house, if you are willing to share some stories of how you know our Queen. How has she been since marrying our King? I know life in the kingdom grew for the better, but we have no idea how she did it. We also have no idea why the leader of the Guardians chose to marry our King. Don't get me wrong, I am glad for the changes and that we have a capable Queen, it certainly brought more money into my pocket, but you can't blame an old pub Keeper for being curious."

With a smile on her face, Danny leaned back a little on her stool and took a swig of the beer before replying. "I'll tell you all I know. I can also do you one better by telling you some fun stories about my cousin Irma when we were little. Heck, I'll even sing for you as thanks for this beer. It is tones better than anything I ever had back on Earth."

"Anything you wish to share." Replied the Keeper before shouting at his son, "Boy, bring up another keg of beer for the cellar! We got a special guest with us today."


	19. Chapter 19

AUTHOR'S NOTE: SHOUT OUT TO jimelization and their work on Dark Descendant. We did a collaboration and Queen Seras is featured. I checked out their work and I think it is awesome.

King Orlan wasted no time to respond to Armana's letter by secretly traveling to Ero; five times since his arrival that morning has he enjoyed the Duchess's body, much to Armana's disgust. One hour after arriving, he pulled her into a servant's closet; despite all the humiliation Orlan put her through, Armana kept quiet and let him have her body, even if she played with the thought of killing the nasty boy more than once. Whenever he touched her, she simply thought of the plan she and Ionah had formulated. Everything was falling into place perfectly; King Orlan was like wax in her hands, the Meridian royal family was on their way and would arrive tomorrow, the temple was excavated enough, the key to open the tomb underneath was found, and King Royan had promised his kingdom to Meridian. Now, all Armana had to do was wait, let Ionah do her part, and entice her son's friend Ratun to her cause.

"Ratun has his ears everywhere and would do anything to possess your niece, Myra. He is young and your niece is a virgin, all you have to do is promise her to him once you are in control. Whether Myra agrees or not, does not matter. This is a cruel world and only those who are willing to fight cruelly will prevail." Was what Ionah had told her and it made Armana smile. If her brother's wife hadn't birthed any children, then she would be the next heir to Ero as stated in a contract Queen Seras had signed the day she married her brother. The contract had stated that should Seras be unable to bear any children within the first 10 years of her marriage, that all control over Ero would fall to Armana; however, within the first 3 months, Seras fell pregnant with Myra, destroying all chances Armana had for the crown. The birth of Isabella and Korinthia, and then Isabella being crowned Queen after falling pregnant with the daughter of a general, was just rubbing salt in the wound. The thought of having Seras watch as each of her daughters was married off, rapped, or killed brought a smile to Armana's lips.

Once Orlan lay sleeping in her bed, after having his way with her once again, Armana quickly got washed and dressed before rushing out of her room to find Ratun. Despite the use, that boy could be to her, she despised the sight of the child. Whenever she gazed at him, she imagined a giant rat. Nonetheless, this was another pivotal moment in her plans; having a boy like Ratun as a faithful servant was vital for Armana. As she expected, she found Ratun in the library located beside Myra's private study with his ear pressed against the wall separating him from the princess. Daintily, Armana cleared her throat to catch the boy's attention and the boy spun around so fast that he nearly knocked over a stack of books beside him.

"I was listening for a mouse that I spotted here earlier. I would hate for Myra's proud collection to be ruined by such a nasty creature." Was the boy's hastily formulated excuse. Armana chuckled a little to herself; a mouse in the castle was as unlikely as the sun turning into the moon. With a smile that only a royal could carry, she approached the boy and gently placed a hand on his hunched shoulder.

"My boy, I am not here to chastise you for lurking after my niece." Her voice was sickly sweet, but Ratun hung on every word. "I have seen how you look at her and it reminds me of how my husband used to look at me when we were freshly married. Sadly, his eyes wondered soon after I fell pregnant with Dante. A devotion like yours to my niece is rare to find these days."

At this, Ratun smiled a little; gladder that he was not in trouble than what the Duchess had said. "Ratun, I wish you sit with me for a moment. I have something to inform you about."

Like a puppy, Ratun followed Armana to another room where a servant brought them bread and wine. The moment he was served his glass, the boy snatched his cup and drank a good third of his share before Armana even had her first sip; Armana let him. Having his mind dulled through the effects of the wine would be another benefit for her.

"You and I both know how poorly Isabella is ruling over Ero and this Queen Wilhelmina isn't much better for Meridian." Started Armana and Ratun hung on her word and nodded in agreement. "The economy has stagnated and free education is giving every peasant the idea that he knows how to run the kingdom."

"The world was easier back when only the royals had the right to an education. It was clear to know who ruled what part and how." Added Ratun for Armana and the Duchess smiled; gaining this boy as a follower seemed easier than expected.

"I fully agree my boy, but if Isabella continues to rule and Wilhelmina continues in Meridian, things will continue to degrade. If things continue like this, there will be no more royals within the next 3 generations. We are at a pivotal point and have to act fast. My advisor and I have been talking and have come to a conclusion." Her tone remained sweet, but with a serious undertone. "It will be complicated and dangerous, but if you remain faithful and everything works out to our benefit, I will richly reward you."

Ratun looked up at Armana from his third cup of wine and carefully asked, "reward me?"

"Yes, I'd reward you with anything you wish, and you only have to remain on my side. You don't have to lift a finger unless I ask. I'd even promise you one of my nieces if you wish." Ratun's bulging eyes nearly fell out of his head when Armana said this, but Armana didn't stop; she knew she had the boy's attention. "Tomorrow, the Meridian royal family will arrive, and All guards will be distracted by the party in 3 days. When all are drunk and the attention is on Isabella's daughter, an assassin will attempt an attack on the Meridian family. Isabella will be too distracted to use her powers and so will Seras; I don't place much fear in Korinthia since she barely managed to master levitation. With both the heads of Ero and Meridian out of the way, I am next in line to rule. I'll need a smart head as a lord and you seem fit for the job."

"Me, a lord?" Ratun's drunk voice croaked in his throat and Armana nearly burst with joy at how easy the boy could be played.

"Who else?" asked Armana as though Ratun's questioning insulted her. "My son is too naïve and I would be damned if I gave that title to a stranger or one of my nieces. I need someone I can trust and is wise enough not to be tricked by a common peasant. Unless you know another, I can only consider you."

"I will follow you to the end of Metarmoor." Ratun burst out as though his mouth was a dam that just broke from the weight of the water it was supposed to hold. "All I ask is your niece Myra as my bride. I have desired her since the day I first saw her. She is a true and radiant beauty." Ratun then caught himself and stuttered an apology as he feared placing Armana beneath his beloved Myra would kill his chances of possessing her. "Not as radiant as you, my Duchess."

"Glad to know you are on my side. If all goes well and you don't betray me, I'll grant you the hand of my niece, Myra, in marriage; whether she wants to or not." Satisfied, Armana finished her cup of wine and poured herself another. Now, Ionah had to do her part.

In another kingdom, in the glamor of an old hag, Ionah knocked on a weathered door. A few weeks ago, she had asked a very skilled potion brewer to make a tincture for her and now was the time to pick it up. The illusion she was using was beyond perfect. With her horns gone, her blond hair grey and frayed, her porcelain smooth skin wrinkled and tanned, and her finely formed body now weathered like the trunk of an old willow no one would ever guess it was her. Perhaps, the glamor worked too well? In this form, her bones ached more than they already had, and she felt the years she spent on this wretched world. Then again, if all went as promised, she would soon be freed of this disgusting body she had been cursed with; she just had to wait and pray. Within moments, the door opened, and the potion brewer came to view; Ionah was surprised to see that the girl had once again changed the color of her hair. When she first met the woman, the bottom layer of her hair was bright pink, then it had changed to blue, and now it was a venomous green that matched her eyes.

"Cailleach, I have your order ready." Spoke Sophia and invited the old lady into her lab. Sophia had doors to several markets since her skills were in high demand, mostly by women who wanted to strengthen their husband's manhood, but this woman had a different order. With a skilled hand, she reached into a cabinet and pulled out a vial containing a glowing red liquid. "As you ordered, a potion that enhances rage."

"It works as we agreed, doesn't it? I just have to hold it near my grandson, and he will be filled with enough rage to make the recruitment as a soldier?" Ionah asked in a shaking voice that fit her appearance.

"Just hold it close to him long enough for him to inhale it. Don't let him drink it, if you do it will give him major indigestion. Combine that with rage and you will be in a world of hurt." Replied Sophia and carefully handed the fragile vail to the old woman she knew by the name of Cailleach. Once the bottle was securely placed in her hands, Ionah reached into her dress pocket and pulled out the gold coins that they had agreed upon. "Now, just remember, this bottle contains a pheromone that amplifies the anger response. If you want him to cool down, then take the bottle away and keep it away from him. It will take a few days for the effects to wear off and the only side effect is a bad headache. When he is exposed to this pheromone, he will be an unstoppable, rage-filled, machine. Is this understood?"

"You are being crystal clear, my dear and for your troubles, I have paid you double. Now I wish you a great day and thank you for your help." Replied Ionah and helped herself out. Back on the streets of this kingdom, she didn't bother remembering the name of, Ionah hobbled her way to a dark alley where she quietly slipped into the shadows like a cat. Most of her powers were gone for years, but the ability to slip into the shadows was one she was allowed to keep.

Faster than the wind, Ionah traveled through the shadows; the world of light appearing above her through flashing holes like swiss cheese. Within moments, she could appear anywhere and disappear just as fast. Without being noticed, her hand appeared in her private chambers in Ero and deposited the vial of red liquid in a locked drawer in her desk. Where she was heading next, she didn't require the potion that enhanced anger; the boy she'd be meeting held enough already. With the vile safely stored away, Ionah made her way through the portal that leads to the Heatherfield park where she knew the former rebel leader had been camping since his exile from Meridian. Just as her Oracle had told her, she found the boy sleeping off another hangover; with no home in Meridian, unable to hide at Cornelia's place because her parents were home, and worlds away from the girl he longed for there was little left for the boy to do but to drink his sorrows away and wait for the nights Cornelia offered to share her bed with him. Like a grandmother watching over her sleeping grandchild, Ionah stood over the boy and waited for him to wake up on his own.

After a few minutes, Ionah became bored with waiting for the boy to wake up, so swiftly kicked him in the back of the knee. As though stung by a bee, Caleb sprang up and pulled the knife he had held on his belt, ready to defend himself; he stopped in his tracks, however, when he saw the horned woman before him. Groggy and confused he asked, "Who are you…what do you want?"

"Aren't you the rebel leader Caleb?" Asked Ionah, she knew who he was, but she needed to play her part perfectly, and perfectly she would play it. Caleb laughed bitterly and tucked both the bottle and the knife away; if the woman had planned to kill him, she would have done so already.

"I was the rebel leader. I lost everything when the Oracle exiled me after I failed to kill Prince Phobos. Now, he is King of Meridian, forgiven of all his crimes, and married to Will." He spoke the final words with such bitterness and loathing that Ionah was certain he would wring the King's neck if he stood before them. "To believe I was so close to ridding the world of that bastard if only I had cut him a little deeper."

"I am sorry to hear of your troubles, Caleb, but I am afraid that despite your exile Metarmoor needs you and so does Will." Just as she suspected, Caleb's ears perked up at her words and she knew she had his full attention. With a voice that carried a hint of sobs as though she feared for her life, she continued. "I am afraid your former adversary has everyone fooled, even Will; he has convinced her to use the Heart for his benefits and his taking over one kingdom after another. He already has Gia in his possessions and is planning an attack on the royal family of Ero. The worst is, he has his cousin Isabella under his spell as well; tomorrow, he is traveling to Ero and over morrow is little Elizabeth's first birthday. He wasn't to get rid of the baby princess before she becomes old enough to count as a legitimate heir. I am telling you, that baby is in grave danger." Her words snuck into Caleb's ear and wrapped around his brain like the tendrils of an octopus.

"I can't believe the Oracle would let that happen." Caleb gasped as he imagined the worst fo the little baby.

"He allowed Weria's death by the hands of her own son, he allowed Phobos to rise to power and enslave the people of Meridian without even asking the neighboring kingdoms to aid the people, and he has allowed the leader of the Guardians to marry this manipulative monster that is now king of Meridian and soon the rest of the world. It didn't even take much for Phobos to manipulate both Will and Queen Isabella. Will is practically bound to him under the fear that he'd hurt her; he has done many forms of violence onto her already and she fears what else his sick mind can come up with. As for Isabella, she was betrothed to Phobos back when they were children and she has held a deep affection for him ever since; though she is now married to the general of the Ero army, she still longs for the man Weria chose for her. The only one who has come to some senses is Lord Cedric, he pities the fait of the baby princess and has informed my mistress, Duchess Armana of Ero, of the planned attack. My mistress loves her niece like it were her own but wasn't blessed with any powers with which to protect the baby; by now, Ero must be crawling with spies working for Phobos, so she can't really reach out to anyone else. Her last hope lies within Cedric and you; Cedric has agreed to do the dirty work as his master's madness has grown too much for him, but Armana needs someone the people can relate to and someone to be there for Will when she is freed of Phobos's grasp. So, will you help Armana protect Princess Elizabeth? She can make it worth your while. Anything you wish, in fact; she can even pardon you of all charges and allow you to return to Meridian with honor." Ionah even managed to squeeze a few tears from her magenta eyes to seal the act; as expected, her act had its' desired effect on the boy, who quickly stood on his feet.

"If your Duchess pardons me, I'll personally kill Phobos in front of her eyes, so she'll know the monster is gone." He gasped excitedly, "Just tell me when and where and I'll be there."

"Oh, thank you," Ionah knelt before him, took him by the hand, and kissed his knuckles as though he were a saint sent by the old gods. "Thank the old gods for bringing you to us in Ero's greatest time of need. I promise you, once the mad queen Isabella is deposed, Duchess Armana will pardon you of all charges and you'll return to Meridian a hero."

"You keep up your end after I've kept up mine, the only thing that baffles me, is that Will hasn't attempted to flee from Phobos yet, what horrible things has he done to her?" asked Caleb, fearing the worst for his beloved.

"He has used something to control her mind and does unspeakable things to her when she gathers the strength attempt to break free; coupled with the verdict of the Oracle, what choice does she have but to stay with him? Besides, she is too kind for her own good; she could never let a creature, even one as vile as Phobos, suffer an agonizing death." Replied Ionah and whipped the fake tears from her eyes. "I'll come for you tomorrow and hide you in Ero until the time is right. You'll know the full plan well in advance. The importance is that once in Ero, you follow the plan to the letter; only so can we save Metarmoor from the horrible fate that awaits. Until then, don't speak a word of this to anyone; Phobos could have his spies anywhere. It is already dangerous enough that I am here. Thank you again, you truly are worthy of the legends I have heard from you." As Ionah rose to leave, Caleb stopped her.

"You still haven't told me who you are. At least tell me your name, so I know who to thank once all is done."

"My name is Madam Ionah, I am Duchess Armana of Ero's advisor." With that, Ionah rushed out of Caleb's tent with her head hung low as though she fears being spotted in the thick woods that made up Heatherfield Park. Ionah just obtained another pawn in her game and Caleb saw himself as a future hero that will sweep Will off her feet once free from Phobos's grasp; the rebel boy could practically picture Phobos dead by his feet and Will in his loving embrace.

XXXXX

Back in Meridian, Danny was near the bottom of her third mug of the best beer she ever had when Irma, still dressed as a civilian, burst into the pub and marched right up to her. With her face burning red, Irma grabbed hold of Danny's shoulder and spun her around in that bar chair to face her. "Daniella Henrietta Downing, what the hell were you thinking running off like that?"

Danny simply looked over the rim of her mug and offered her friend a drunken smile. "I didn't find anything I liked to drink at that place, so I came here. Irms, you gotta try this beer, it is some of the best ever."

"I don't like to drink, and I am not here to party. You got everyone so worried that it is like they are being bitten by fire ants. The whole castle is out looking for you. How do you manage to be in a place for less than an hour and cause so much trouble?" Irma's voice was close to cracking, she couldn't believe how calm Danny could be during all this. It was as though her cousin didn't even care about her actions and the pain they caused. Then again, Danny had always been this way; she was the friend that was exciting and adventurous, but completely irresponsible and with no sense of self-preservation. "You could have gotten hurt, don't you get that?"

"These folks here haven't even tried to rob me, I have just been sittin' here drinkin' a great brown beer and telling the owner some stories of the good old days."

"Danny, you have the self-preservation of a Disney lemming…" it was only after a brief moment that Danny's last words dawned on her. "Stories…what stories have you been tellin'."

Before Danny could respond, the pub keeper returned from retrieving another keg of beer from the basement. Through puffy-red cheeks and sweaty eyes, he recognized the guardian burst out into gut-busting laughter. Through gasps, all he managed to say was, "Powder-butt."

Irma's eyes shot open wide and she shot Danny a glare that could kill a god. "Traitor! You told him about the powder incident?"

"It just came to my head and sounded like a fun story. It did earn me a mug of beer though." Replied Danny with a chuckle.

"I was 5 and you told me you'd never tell ANYONE! You made a promise!" Irma felt like strangling her cousin if she didn't love her so much.

"Irms, relax. You a guardian thing and that story are just makin' you more approachable. Now sit down with me and have a drink." Danny gestured to the empty chair beside her and the pub keeper nodded in agreement.

"Come and sit down. It would be an honor to have a guardian drink in my pub. I'll make sure you have something light, so you can still go about your duty, though I don't know what duties now since your leader married our king." Added the keeper as he placed a mug beside Danny's, filled with a light blond beer. "On the house. It is the beer my kids' drink, so I know it is good."

Before Irma could deny the offer, Danny grabbed hold of her arm and swung her into the empty chair before pressing the mug into Irma's trembling hands. "Don't be rude Irms, this man is offerin' you some of his best. You'd be a real monster if you refuse this one mug."

"Alright," Irma sighed. Danny always knew how to play the guilt card and Irma was never strong enough to fight it. "I'll just have one drink, then we will be on our way back to the castle, so Phobos can call the guards back. They are searching for you too…well, they are keeping an eye open. It is hard to miss someone that looks like you."

"You always knew how to party, Irms. If it weren't for me, you'd be stuck indoors all day knitting baby clothes." Chuckled Danny as she patted her friend's back and got out of her seat. "Hey Irms, all this pipe smoke is chokin' the life out of me, so I'll get some fresh air. I'll be back, so don't you start worrying about me."

With that, Danny left through the old door and into the snow-covered streets of Meridian; however, instead of waiting for her cousin to finish her mug, Danny simply kept walking. She wasn't done exploring the place and she didn't feel like having her cousin herd her back to the castle like a helpless sheep. After a few blocks, Danny was sure she had lost her cousin again and kept her eyes open for a new place to visit; maybe a bakery or street vendor was open where she could score some treat from. Perhaps, and this was a long shot, Meridian had an opium den that she could try. After a few more streets, Danny was forced to hide behind a rain barrel when she spotted a couple of guards with a wagon, talking to a man that appeared to be either a farmer or a very dirty locksmith. Curious, Danny listened in on their conversation that she had already missed most of.

"Alright, your taxes are paid, and everything is up to the modern code of safety." Said the guard that seemed to be in charge. "Now, remind your son that he has to register for his three months of military service if he hasn't signed up for social services already. One more thing, a friend of the guardians has gone missing from the castle and is somewhere in the kingdom. We found tracks leading into the village but lost them in the town's square. Keep an eye open for a boy with short hair, clothes that don't fit into this surrounding, and mismatching eyes. If you spot him, report it to your nearest officer. Have a nice day Mr. Padlock."

The man simply nodded his head in understanding and the officers turned to leave. Now fully aware that the kingdom's police were looking for her and feeling excited about it, Danny quickly and quietly snuck under the greyed tarp covering the cart like a cat and hid between the sacks of grain and barrels of, what she thought, were pickled good judging by the smell. Danny couldn't believe the adventure she was on; she felt like a fugitive hiding from the law. So preoccupied was she with the idea of playing cops and robbers that she didn't hear the guards mention that this was their last stop and was on their way back to the castle to deliver the taxed goods to the soldiers stationed there. For what seemed like hours, though it was more like minutes, the cart bumped along the road and Danny felt like she began to grow sick of the motions of the cart and the smell of the picked eggs in the barrel pressed against her when the wagon finally stopped and she heard the guards walk away, chatting about how life was different back before Will became queen. Once she was certain the guards were gone, Danny snuck out from under the tarp and dashed for the nearest dark corner to hide.

For a moment, Danny lurked in the shadows and observed her new surroundings. The floor and walls were made of the same dark stone that was weathered from time and use. Some spots on the floor were worn smooth from years of guards walking on them and places on the walls were cracked and allowed roots from unknown trees to creep their way in, where they had grown thick and were covered in moss from the protection this place offered. At a distant wall, Danny could spot barrels of wine or pickled goods that, she guessed, were used to feed the troops. From what Irma had told her, the troops weren't always this nice to the people and would take from the civilians what they wanted since the king allowed it. However, from what she overheard, Will had made some great changes and now the military was mostly voluntary; with the exception that every able-bodied man had to register to serve for a minimum of three years. Perhaps some of these barrels were still from a time before Will seduced their leader.

Before the guards returned, Danny rushed into a nearby corridor to explore the place to her heart's content.

XXXXX

Finally, in Meridian after closing his shop on Earth, Cedric led Miranda through the troop's sector to show her how things have changed since the royal wedding. The size of the army shrank to a quarter of its' original size and those that were left were but a shadow of what they once were. The military was all voluntary now, so only those that aspired to be a soldier joined while most joined social services like delivering food to the poor, looking after the children of the working class, and taking care of the elderly. All of this only seemed to degrade the way of Meridian life.

"Before the social services, people used to take care of their own parents, take care of their own children, and the poor either died or worked up the nerve to find work. Even the job of an indentured servant is better than choosing to be poor. Wilhelmina's actions have drained the reserves and weakened our armies. If another kingdom decided to attack us, we would be at their mercy. The worst part, King Phobos seems blind to all this. He spends his days at her side like a lap dog regardless if he needs her to ease his pain or not." Grumbled Cedric while slithering through the corridors with Miranda in his masculine snake form.

"I thought your friend needed her to stay alive? Considering he was poisoned to be bound to her. From what you have told me, he can't stay away from her for longer than an hour before suffering chest pains, fever, joint aches, and bloody coughs. Considering his suffering and her good looks, it is understandable why he spends to much time with her." Replied Miranda with a smirk. She had missed Cedric dearly but wondered if he wasn't exaggerating a little to voice his distaste for the current queen. "Before Will, the kingdom had security but lacked a social structure. Now, we have a social structure, but our security is lacking behind. However, I don't think this is a cause for such concern from you." She finished with a smile at Cedric.

The snake lord looked at Miranda in shock and surprise, "Don't tell me you side with the queen?" he asked as though Miranda just dumped a bucket of water on him.

"I am not siding with anyone here." Replied Miranda, wanting to laugh at the shocked expression on her dear Cedric's face. "Currently, there is no kingdom strong or brave enough to attack us, even with a weakened army. The people needed a form of security in their lives and Will got Phobos to give it to them. Now, I know things have changed too quickly and the reserves are drained, but I am sure once Will and Phobos find an equilibrium, things will work out. Their marriage is still young, give it a little time and things will be better than before. The people will have security and order, as well as a social system to take care of them if they are unable to themselves."

"And when will that be?" asked Cedric with annoyance, thinking that Miranda betrayed him as well and sided with Will. "When Morovia gets a wild hair up its ass and decides to attack? You know as well as I do that King Orlan is crazy enough to attempt an attack on us."

"Meridian is allied with most of Metarmoor. It would take Morovia, Cina, and Cloudan to even attempt an attack on us. Besides, even if they did, we would have Ero, Gia, and at least three more kingdoms to come to our aid. "You just have to be patient."

"So, you want me to wait until a threat looms on the horizon before things change?" he was struggling to keep his voice low; he had already annoyed the King with his open displeasure of the Queen, he didn't need the guards to rally against him as well. "I know our king can't stay away from her for long, but there were other ways he could have dealt with his condition. He could have kept Will in the dungeon or locked in a hidden room in the castle, he didn't have to marry her. I swear, that girl did something to him that caused him to fall head-over-heels for his former enemy. Have you ever heard of enemies being happily married without there being ulterior motives? Sure, he claims that being married to her makes it easier to rule over Metarmoor, but with every passing day, I doubt his words more and more. I honestly think he forgot everything we have worked so hard towards the day he married her."

"Don't think you'd be any different when you marry one day." Countered Miranda, before her travels, she had once imagined a life with Cedric, but let that thought die when he made no efforts to stop her from leaving Meridian. However, now that she was back, she let the thought creep back into her mind like a soft fog; she would just have to needle him enough to consider it himself.

"Are you implying that, once I marry, that I will become a fool like Phobos?" Cedric felt insulted at the thought of what his beloved Miranda was implying.

"Well, from what I heard, all couples go through a honeymoon phase and no man or woman is immune to it." Quipped Miranda and then quickly fell silent when a guard rushed past them like a chicken with its' head cut off. Before the guard could run off into another corridor, Cedric stopped him.

"What is the meaning of this? You are the third guard I saw running around like this. Unless the castle is on fire, there should be no point to run like this."

"My apologies sir," gasped the guard, partly thankful that he was given a minute to breathe even if it was to talk to his superior. "Queen Wilhelmina's guest Danny ran off and is nowhere to be found on castle grounds. We have our men looking for him in the village but continue to search the castle in case we missed him."

For a moment, Cedric was confused as he remembered Danny being a girl back at the book store. He was less surprised to find out that she was causing trouble as he had a feeling she would the moment he saw her.

"Danny," mumbled Miranda under her breath as she recalled the image of the girl in her head. "I thought Danny was a girl?"

"Huh?" asked the guard as he was unsure if he had heard correctly.

"Queen Wilhelmina's guest, Danny, is a girl. If you sent out a notice that Danny is a boy, it would make it a lot harder to find her. Go to your comrades and tell them of the correction. If you find her, bring her to me first. I'll teach her not to run off like this in a place where she is just a guest." Ordered Cedric before letting the guard get on his way. Once alone with Miranda again, he gave her a look that one parent would give to another when a child misbehaved. "Here for less than an hour and she is already causing trouble. We barely have an army and now it is looking for a misbehaving brat."

"You act like this is the first time someone escaped from the castle." Replied Miranda, still holding her smirk. This was nothing compared to the number of times a rebel or the guardians invaded and escaped from the castle.

"A few months ago, we had better security, and this would not have happened." Muttered Cedric, as he had a feeling that he was losing the fight against Miranda's reasoning.

"If I recall correctly, the rebel boy Caleb entered and escaped the castle numerous times. Our current queen did so as well. Lastly, you told me that you, Phobos, and two of his cousins escaped from this castle when you were but children. The security was always high here and yet people always found a way to get in and out. If a beetle really wanted to, he could escape from a spider's web, they only stay because it exerts less energy than fighting." Countered Miranda and Cedric found no more reason to dispute her claims. He could have a guard posted at every corner in the building and someone could always find a way to escape if they were determined or crazy enough.

XXXXX

Back in the halls of the castle's lower levels, Danny was having a blast running from room to room, always making sure to stay in the shadows and out of sight from guards patrolling the area. She felt like a spy sent on a mission to gather information in a foreign country. If she knew any better, this place would make a wonderful setting for a Tv show. She thought of inspecting one more room before making her way to a high level; the next door she came to was old, like the rest, and reinforced with iron bars.

Either this holds a treasure, more supplies for the guards, or this is a torture dungeon. I wonder if Will ever uses it on her husband when he steps out of line? Though Danny as she tried the handle and found it unlocked. If it is a treasure room, I am sure Will and Phobos won't mind a small handful of coins missing. I'll pay them back one day.

When Danny opened the door, she was a little miffed to find it wasn't a room where the castle held its' treasure, but a room that, at one point, must have been a dungeon. There were chains with shackles along the wall and a deep pit in the middle of the floor. Gazing down, Danny could make out the shape of some shackles that once held a prisoner or two. The pit was deep, but it wouldn't be impossible to climb out even if chained up. Then again, not everyone was as trained as she; her sister Ella would beat her senseless if she couldn't climb out of a hole like this. If a monster was after her, it might be a matter of life or death if she didn't.

So preoccupied was she with inspecting the hole in the ground that she didn't hear two guards approaching the open door. Even with their armor, they managed to sneak through the door quietly and approach Danny without her reacting. Before she could hear or sense their presence, one of them grabbed hold of her shoulder and pulled her to her feet. She scratched at the hand grabbing her, but it did nothing to loosen her captor's grip.

"There you are." Growled the guard that grabbed her and gave her a firm shake; he and his buddy hadn't gotten the message yet that Danny was a girl when he said. "You are in deep trouble, little boy!"

Not aware that the men were only looking for her only to return her to the throne room; Danny swiftly punched the man holding her in the gut where his armor didn't cover him, making sure to put all her motion into it. The guard, not expecting the punch, let go of Danny and toppled to the ground gasping for air. His comrade quickly rushed to grab Danny, but she was faster and swung her foot up at his face, connecting her boot to the guard's chin and sending him to the ground just as fast as his companion. Once the guards were down, Danny wasted no time in dashing from the room. Like a wild rabbit, she ran down one hallway after another as more and more guards began to swam the halls like a swarm of bees; a few times she was nearly caught, but still managed to escape their grasp.

Down yet another confusing and dimply lit hallway, Danny came across a lone guard who was surprised to spot her rushing towards him. Using the skills Ella had beaten into her, Danny used her momentum to bounce off from one wall to the next, gaining height until she cleared the guard, who simply stared at her with a mouth open so wide that he could have eaten a whole sandwich in one bite. The guard, on the other hand, was amazed to come across someone with such skills. When Danny landed behind him, she let out a laugh of triumph and rounded another corner thinking she had gotten away. She only looked over her shoulder for a moment to see if she was being followed, it was that moment when she rounded another corner and ran right into Cedric's broad chest.

For a moment, the wind was knocked out of her lungs and she hit the dusty ground hard. She had no idea what she ran into as she lay on the floor coughing in pain. She didn't care if it was a guard or a door that she had run into, but she was prepared to tear it down for getting in her way. As quick as she could, she got onto her feet and sputtered, "I'm gonna tear you a new ass for getting' in my wa-"

Her words were cut short when she saw what was standing before her. Before her stood her worst nightmare, a giant snake with biceps the size of beer kegs and fans like steel. Unsure of whether to laugh or cry, Danny only managed a croaked chuckle before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted, falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Author's Note:

And thus, the great hero has returned to be more of a bother to her loved ones. Yes, Danny knew what she was doing and did it on purpose.

Another reminder to check out jimelization's Dark Descendant. If I knew how to link things properly, I would have a link here for you guys, but I don't so this is the best I can do.


	20. Chapter 20

Back in the throne room, Julian was drawing a draft of the crib he was designing for the royal baby with the help of Elyon since she was still miffed that her brother and sister-in-law kept the pregnancy from her, the royal couple thought that letting her help with the crib would be a small compensation. Orube was running between talking to the couple and helping Julian and Elyon with the design. All three had promised to keep the pregnancy a secret from the other guardians; despite not having met Irma properly, even Orube agreed that it would be wise to keep it from her. In the brief moments that Will and Phobos were alone, they quietly discussed their visit to Ero tomorrow, the baby, and the matter of their missing friend.

"If things keep going like this, then all of Meridian will know by next week. I was so hoping to keep this a secret for a little longer. I still have nightmares about all the people congratulating us at our wedding, I can't imagine the amount of praise and congratulations we'd get if they found out we were expecting a baby." Groaned Will silently and leaned against her husband's chest, "It is going to be a nightmare."

"Keep calm Wilhelmina, we both knew this day would come one day. We just weren't careful enough." Replied Phobos and rubbed his wife's back in a comforting way. "I wonder who's fault that is."

At that, Will lightly punched her husband in the side where no one could see. "It takes two to tango."

Phobos stifled a wince and held firm, he didn't need the rest to see their marital quarrel. Quietly, but without the slightest hint of malice he hissed, "And only one to pretend they can't open the knots on their dress."

For a moment, bot interrupted their quiet argument when Orube returned to the group. With an excited smile, she asked, "Do you two already know what it is going to be? Julian wasn't to use a royal blue for the fabric, but Elyon is thinking of a deep red in case it is a girl."

"Orube, we have known about the baby for less than three months; unless I go to Earth, sneak behind my parents back to a clinic for a test, and then manage to catch the letter from the clinic before my mother check the mailbox, I highly doubt I'd know until I decide to tell my mother. However, when I do, I know my mother will find a way here to skin this husband of mine. So how about you folks decide everything except the color of the cloth." Replied Will as she felt a headache coming on, coupled with nausea from the pregnancy, Will wanted nothing more than a hot bath.

"Why not white?" asked Phobos, since he knew Julian would have to know the color scheme in order to choose the wood for the frame.

"white?" asked Will a little confused, "I never heard of a white crib in Meridian. I know it is a common one on Earth, but I doubt even the royals there use a simple white."

"We can always change the cloth later to fit the frame, but I think Julian would like his job a little easier if he knew what color scheme to follow. There are five hundred different types of wood in Meridian alone and each has a different color. I doubt Julian would like to build five hundred different cribs so we can decide later what color cloth." Answered Phobos before turning to Orube with a smile. "White is a neutral color and we can change it later. If Julian wants to be very specific, he can take inspiration from the wood the furniture in this castle. Most of it is a dark color, but he doesn't have to follow it if he doesn't want to. I am sure once it is born and grown, it can choose its' own furniture."

Orube smiled and ran back to Julian and Elyon with the idea. Once alone again, the couple continued to argue.

"Well, now that that is settled, how long will it take for us to travel to Ero tomorrow?" asked Will as she looked out the window. She had seen quite a bit of Meridian and was excited to see more of Metarmoor. "Are we taking an expressway or the long way?"

"Neither," replied Phobos and joined his wife at gazing out the window at their kingdom and the land that separated them from Ero. "The Ero royals prefer to travel using wind stallions. They have the ability to ride into the sky and on top of the clouds like they were solid ground. They are the fastest creatures to travel with besides the dragons of Morovia, however, I doubt they would lend us any of them. Tomorrow, Isabella is sending us two carriages that will bring us to Ero."

"Two?" asked Will a little confused.

"One for you, me, and Elyon and one for Cedric and Orube."

"Cedric is coming with us?" Will asked in a low hiss. She already knew that the Lord disliked her, and she didn't feel like spending a few days in a foreign kingdom with him.

"He has been under a lot of pressure with all the recent changes and the changes yet to come. I thought he could use a change of scenery. Ero has a similar social structure to that we are trying to implement here in Meridian; if he saw how well it worked there, he might be a little happier with what we are doing here. Besides, he knows Isabella and Myra and I am sure he missed them."

"Well, lets' hope we can find Danny by tomorrow. I don't want her to be lost in Meridian while the kingdom's head is in another palace." Replied Will, a little worried about her missing friend. Then again, what did she have to worry about if Danny was trained to hunt and control creatures like crawlers?

"I have the guards looking for her at nearly every corner of the castle and I have them patrolling the village. If she doesn't come back on her own, then she will be dragged her. If she is allowed to come back any time soon, however, is another question." Unlike Will, Phobos held the least worry that their friend would be lost in Meridian for long.

"I practically waltzed in and out of this place whenever I needed to kick your keister, what makes you think your guards will be any better at finding her than they did me?" Will asked with a smirk and Phobos simply rolled his eyes at his wife.

"The difference is that I enjoyed having you visit me. I was being lenient on you."

"Sure, you were." Replied Will, fully knowing her husband was just trying to cheer her up. The embarrassing part was that it worked. She smiled as she remembered the times she strolled in and out of the castle trying to stop one of her husband's villainous plans. He was calling it lenient, but she knew he was saving face in front of her; he wasn't masochistic enough to allow her to best him, even if it would make her happy.

Just as Will was deciding whether or not to kiss his cheek for trying to lighten her mood, there came a knocking at the throne room doors. Quickly, Julian rolled up his plans for the crib in order to keep the secret he promised to keep; he managed to tuck the plans away in his vest pocket when Taranee and Hay-Lyn came in, dragging a tipsy Irma between them. With a heavy and tired sigh, Taranee addressed the group that stayed behind. "We didn't find Danny, but we found our dear-old Irma getting drunk in a pub. The Pubkeeper was laughing about some story she was telling him involving her mom's make-up and recreating a scene from National Geographic."

"Did you guys have any more luck finding Danny? Certainly, the guards must have found her by now." Asked Hay-Lyn as she slid out from underneath Irma's arm and let her friend sit on the ground like an old rag doll.

"I wasn't gettin' sloshed." Said Irma, slurring her words worse than a sailor. "I found Danny and she told me to drink. I did and she said she'd go out to get some fresh air. I waited for her and the pub dude just kept serving me more, if I told him the powder story. Danny said I'd be rude if I didn't take the drink the guy gave me. You all know I hate to be rude."

The group only shook their collective heads at their drunk friend. Orube barely knew her new coworkers, but already worried that this would be a regular occurrence. She hated drunks and dreaded having to rely on one should her life depend on it one day. Before anyone had the chance to chastise the drunk guardian, the great throne room doors swung open again and Cedric, led by Miranda, came in carrying an unconscious Danny in his arms. Once Irma saw her cousin in the arms of the snake-lord, she screamed and cried for him to let her go as she remembered the days in which they were enemies and feared he had done something to her.

"What have you done to her you slime-bag! Let her go or I'll freeze your reptile tail off! You can kiss your toes goodbye!" she screamed as she struggled back onto her feet. Luckily, Taranee and Hay-Lyn were close enough to keep their drunk friend seated on the ground.

"Cedric, can you explain what happened?" asked Phobos since he suspected a rational explanation that would keep Irma from drowning the entire castle.

"She ran right into me in the troop's quarters and fainted when she got a good look at me. I thought it best to bring her here, so everyone knew she was safe and well." Replied Cedric and gently placed Danny on the ground, though he would rather have thrown her into a hole in the ground and forgotten about her. Then again, if she managed to get in and out of the castle without being noticed by anyone, she might be able to claw her way out of any situation.

"She fainted!" repeated Will to make sure she heard correct before asking, "Why did she faint?"

"Danny is afraid of snakes." Irma slurred as she crawled her way over to her cousin and gently patted her forehead. "She got bit by a rattlesnake while visiting family in Texas and has been scared of them ever since." Just then, Danny groaned and began to wake-up. Like a worm, she writhed on the ground for a bit before forcing her eyes open and smiling up at her dear Irma.

"Oh Irms, I had the worst dream ever. You were there," She then looked over at Taranee and Hay-Lyn, "And you two were there," She then turned her head a little to see Will, Phobos, Elyon, Julian, and Orube. "And you four idiots were there, and then there was this giant, fucking, sna-" it was then that Cedric leaned a little closer so Danny could see him over Irma's shoulder. "GIANT FUCKING SNAKE!"

Like a crab, Danny scuddles backward a bit until she felt safe enough to grab a weapon; she had completely forgotten about the spear on her bracelet. Feeling like she should attempt to delegate the situation, Elyon quietly spoke up. "Danny, you don't have to be afraid. Cedric is a friend."

"Ain't no such thing as a friendly nope-rope little girl." Replied Danny as she jumped to her feet. "Someone got a gun, a knife, a big boot, a giant can of Raid? I need something to get this thing out of my sight, pronto, or I'm gonna start throwin' things!"

"Cedric, I suggest you change forms before things continue to escalate with our guest." Ordered Phobos and Cedric, though reluctant, complied. Within a minute, the giant snake shrank in size, the tail contracted and split into feet, the prominent jaw and fangs retreated, and the eyes changed from reptile yellow to a calm green. Danny almost couldn't believe it; like Janet, the monster in front of her turned human. Even less believable, was that Danny knew this guy, he was the man she saw at the book shop before she got to Meridian. Given everything she had experienced so far, Danny could have kicked herself for being surprised.

"Still feel like throwing a big boot at me?" Cedric asked Danny with a smirk before slowly approaching her. "Now, If I may have the word I suggest you apologize to the King, Queen, and your friends for causing such a disturbance before I decide to forget my manners and have you thrown in the dungeon."

"Quiet the manners you got there." Replied Danny before turning to her friends with her head hung in shame. "I am sorry for running off like that. I just wanted to see this place a little more and got board walking about the castle. I won't apologize completely though; I don't regret getting that beer."

"Your stunt in the pub got Irma drunk. How are we supposed to get her home? If her parents saw her like this, they are going to ground her for life!" Danny had to admit that Taranee had a point, but she was surprised that a single mug managed to get Irma shit-faced. Then again, maybe Irma decided to have a little more than she could handle. Irma was always one to party, get alcohol involved and she became a loose cannon.

Quietly, so no one else could hear, Will turned to her husband, and asked, "Should one of us attempt to heal Irma of her intoxication? Taranee is right."

"No," replied Phobos with a slight grin as he found all of this rather amusing. "I think we should let Irma suffer a bit for her actions. She knew better than to get drunk while on a mission."

This made Will roll her eyes, but she had to admit that the punishment fit the crime. Surely Danny wouldn't let her cousin get into too much trouble. Judging by Danny's calm demeanor, this wasn't the first time Irma let her guard down around alcohol and, since Irma never mentioned getting into trouble for it, it meant that Danny had saved her hide once before. Just as she suspected, Danny rose to the occasion. "Don't worry about it. We pull stunts like this all the time, I'll simply have her stay at my place for a few hours until she is sober. I let her use my shower, get all clean and pretty, and then return her to her parents with a pretty, red, bow on top."

"Considering you got her into this mess, it is the least you could do to get her out." Was Hay-Lyn's response as she let Irma lean on her, who was about to fall into a drunken slumber with a wide, goofy, grin on her lips. Beginning to struggle with the extra dead weight pressed against her, Hay-Lyn grunted and asked, "Could someone take her off me? She is beginning to use me as a mattress."

"Hand her over." Said Danny and picked Irma up like a sleeping child, Irma immediately wrapped her arms around Danny's shoulders and snuggled against her like she was her knight in shining armor. "Let's get her back on Earth before she hurls. I can handle baby puke I can't handle drunk teen puke." Danny then turned to the royal couple and grinned like she just won the lottery. She was glad that Irma was giving her the best excuse to leave since she still felt uneasy about being in the same room as the snake man. "Like the Terminator, I'll be back."

Still smiling, she let Taranee and Hay-Lyn lead her out of the throne room. While shenanigans with the drunk guardian were going on, Orube was given a moment to observe the Lord in his human form. As a snake he unnerved her, but didn't frighten her; as a human, she was stunned by how handsome he was. With his long blond hair, smooth chin, high cheekbones, and a mischievous glint in his eyes, Orube was surprised she didn't see a wedding ring on his finger. Then again, considering the amount of work he must be faced with on a daily basis, perhaps he didn't have the time to chase after women. Given the amount of work she'd be facing soon, she too would have no time to think of chasing men, but she wouldn't mind having a cup of coffee with him in a private room once or twice if given the chance. Given the light-blue circles under his eyes and the exhausted way he held himself upright, Orube guessed that the Lord could use a cup of coffee and a friendly shoulder. With the confidence she was born with, Orube walked over to Cedric with a smile to introduce herself. "Hello, I am afraid we haven't met yet. My name is Orube, I'll be Queen Wilhelmina's personal bodyguard and replacement guardian until Cornelia either comes to her senses or a new generation of guardians is born."

Orube itched at the fingers to tell Cedric about the Queen's pregnancy, but she promised to keep it a secret. Her reasoning was that, if Yan-Lyn was the guardian with power over wind and so was her granddaughter Hay-Lyn, then there was a high chance that Will's child would have the power of quintessence. Cedric, still upset that Danny wasn't even given a warning for her actions gathered his remaining energy for a friendly smile and shook Orube's extended hand in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you Orube. I'm Lord Cedric; I wasn't aware Queen Wilhelmina was in need of a personal bodyguard. I thought our King was doing a great job so far."

"I am sure he is, but I was ordered by the Oracle to take this job. I can't really take down an order from him, now can I? Besides, the Heart of Kandrakar requires a team of five members in order to function properly; your King might not be a threat, but there might be others we aren't aware of yet."

"So, you have also mastered the power over earth?" asked Cedric with a raised eyebrow as he heard each guardian was the sole master of their power. While others could get close to their skill level, none could master them like they could, even when they were cut off from the power of the heart. Orube only shook her head but kept her smile.

"Sadly, I fear Cornelia is the only one with that ability, but my strength and agility should compensate for that until she comes to her senses or the new generation is born. If you wish, I could try and fill you in on the details in private later, you look like you could use a strong cup of coffee."

"Queen Wilhelmina's changes to the kingdom have taken a lot of my time and energy and I fear that there will be no end for a long while. I'll take you up on your offer for coffee another day when I get the chance and there isn't a lunatic running rampant in the castle." Orube thought Cedric's remark was directed towards Danny and he wasn't planning on correcting her; he really meant Queen Will herself, though Danny was a close second.

XXXXX

Once the troops were called back, Orube was settled in a room in the castle, and Julian left for home to start his work on the crib, Miranda was given the chance to reconnect with her friend Elyon; since the wedding, she hadn't seen her friend. She had attempted to write letters about her travels as promised but never got the chance. Settled in Elyon's old room from when her brother was still a tyrant, the two girls chatted over a warm cup of tea to fight off the cold in the room that hasn't been used in nearly a year; a fire had been started in the room's fireplace, but the small flame still took time to heat the room.

"You never wrote to me, as you promised." Muttered Elyon and Miranda thought her sour tone of voice was because of the broken promise when in reality it was because Elyon was still upset at her brother for keeping such an important secret from her.

"I wanted to, but I am not sure how to put into words how fancy the joy houses in Cina are." Replied Miranda with a chuckle in an attempt to lighten Elyon's mood.

"Joy houses? What do you mean?"

"It is a nice way of saying whore house, Elyon. Cine is home to one of the greatest networks of them." At that, Elyon nearly choked on her tea before spluttering.

"You went to a whore house?"

"I didn't visit them for their services." Replied Miranda as she took a sip of her tea. "It is part of their culture and that is what I was studying. Cina takes great pride in housing them, despite what rumors have you believe. The greatest and oldest is run by a Madam Fantin. None of the men and women who work for her do so because they are forced or have no other alternative, they work for her because they like their profession and the money it pays. In fact, Cina was founded by men and women like Madam Fantin; before the joy houses, Cine was nothing but a farm camp for peasants to earn extra money or get out of debt. Men and women worked themselves to death without the slightest break or comfort. They worked, cooked, slept, and died in one small area; some men would pay their employers simply to see a pair of undergarments. Now, the first one to start a brothel was Madam Fantin's ancestor Madam Lury who saw a market niche and turned a massive profit; with the profit, she got other investors to notice Cina and they started to build pubs, hotels, markets, and banks in Cina. If it weren't for the royal family in Gia, I am sure the royal family in Cina would stem from Madam Lury." Elyon had to admit, that was an interesting history lesson on one of her neighbors, but she still couldn't imagine willingly wanting to study the evolution of a brothel town into a functioning kingdom. Carefully she asked.

"If Cina's existence is thanks to brothels, then why did you say, 'despite what rumors have you believe'? That makes it sound like people are saying some nasty things about that place."

"It is a brothel business Elyon, people are always going to find reasons to despise it no matter the benefits it brought to the place. Men and women don't really like to admit they aren't satisfied at home." Replied Miranda and casually sipped her tea, glad she could teach her friend about an interesting kingdom before someone else could spoil her image of it. "There are hundreds of interesting things about our neighbors and I intend to learn all of them. Another thing I learned was that Morovia is home to the last Dragon Jockey."

"That is something you could have wrote about. Do they ride dragons like horses in a race?" Asked Elyon, now keener to hear her friend's stories.

"There is only one left and she doesn't really ride them anymore. Her name is Penelope and she has the unique ability to communicate with the hive mother. From what I have heard, she is supposed to be the one ruling over Morovia, but Orlan's uncle pulled a sneaky move and made Orlan king before Penelope was old enough to even walk, despite her being older than Orlan by three months. It is said that anyone who controls the hive mother controls the dragons of Morovia." Replied Miranda and Elyon hung on her every word.

"So, I am guessing the hive mother is the dominant dragon?" asked Elyon, her tea completely forgotten.

"She is." Replied Miranda and finished her cup, she felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than a warm bath and a comfortable bed, but she knew Elyon well and knew that the princess wouldn't let her rest until she divulged the rest of her information. Secretly, Miranda kicked herself for even mentioning the dragons when she was already so tired from her long day with Cedric, whom she told the same information to. Perhaps she should write a book about her travels so she wouldn't have to retell it over and over like a broken record. "Like bees on Earth, the hive mother is the only one allowed to lay eggs and mate. Her drones are the size of horses, but she is huge, and those dragons aren't the civilized kind you have heard of; these dragons closely resemble the ones from those fairytale books you told me about. They are primitive and extremely aggressive, the only humans allowed near them and their hive mother is the jockey and whoever the jockey allows close to them. Sadly, I wasn't allowed to meet Penelope and can't tell you more about the dragons. All I know about their purpose is that their ability to breath fire is used to power Morovia, so they can use one hundred percent of the coal they mine for export."

"What else have you learned from your travels? It feels like you have seen the world and here I am barely knowing anything about Meridian. Heck, I barely know how Heatherfield was founded and I grew up there." Elyon begged her friend to continue, but Miranda yawned and shook her head.

"I'd love to, but I am exhausted. I have been awake since early this morning and I am still a little tired from my journey back. I'll tell you every detail about my travels when you get back from Ero, I should be well-rested by then."

"No fair, you broke your promise to write to me, so you owe me this much." Whined Elyon, but her friend wouldn't budge.

"Elyon, I am about to fall asleep sitting here. Don't worry, I won't forget anything I have learned. Besides, when you get back, you can tell me everything you have learned about Ero; I didn't get a chance to see it and am curious about it." With that, Miranda got up and patted her friend lightly on the shoulder as she left. As she left the room, she called back, "I won't break my promise twice."

Elyon was left to stew in her own anger. First Will and Phobos break their promise to tell her should they ever expect a baby, and now her close friend broke her promise to tell her about her travels. She began to wonder if a promise was still worth anything in Meridian.

XXXXX

In their bedroom, Will was pacing back and forth in front of her balcony door and occasionally glancing out; she tried to hide it earlier, but now she didn't have to strength anymore to hide her nervousness. She remembered that Isabella seemed to like her, though she only met the foreign queen once and it was at a wedding. What if Phobos's cousins took the role of the overly protective in-laws and thought she wasn't good enough to be with him. Would they nitpick everything about her? Would the retired queen Seras even be willing to teach her a few things about children, considering she was expecting herself? What if she did something stupid and her hosts thought she was rude? Will barely remembered all the rules and manners of Meridian and feared what was expecting her in Ero. Phobos, unlike Will, managed to keep his nerves calm; if anything, he was looking forward to seeing his cousins again. Lately, he remembered the year in which the two lived with him in Meridian when they were children and also remembered all the little adventures they went on and the trouble they got into; he remembered the time they escaped the castle and bought baked apples from Julian. It had taken Phobos a few hours, but he remembered meeting the man before he became the ruler of Meridian and wondered if Julian recognized him; if the old man did, he hid it well.

"Wilhelmina, stop pacing like a caged beast and come to bed. We have to get up early tomorrow and I doubt Isabella and Myra would let you get any rest until well into the night. Best get some sleep now; I even put all my other work to rest so as to keep you warm, since you always complain about how cold the bed is without me." Phobos complained and patted the empty spot on the bed beside him that was reserved for her.

"What if I do something wrong and your cousins hate me for it? How do I even greet them? Do I address them by their title, or do I greet them like family? What if they don't like me? I couldn't blame them, I mean, I am from another world and have made so many changes to Meridian. What if they think I am trying to copy them? What if-"

"Wilhelmina, that is enough." Phobos cut her off before she worked herself into hysterics. He then got out of bed and approached his wife, who shook like a leaf in the wind. "From what I remember of my cousins, they are kind to all those they meet and will love you like a fourth sister. If I remember Seras correct, she might attempt to adopt you, if she thinks your mother isn't giving you enough attention. Besides, if they didn't like you, they wouldn't have invited you to celebrate Princess Elizabeth's first birthday; they would have invited me and allowed me to bring a plus-one. You are working yourself up over nothing."

Will sighed heavily and leaned her head against his chest; he had to be right since he grew up with royal mannerisms. "Still what if I do something stupid. I know absolutely nothing about Ero, and I barely spoke with Isabella at our wedding. I don't want to look like an idiot in front of them."

"If you look like an idiot then so will I. In case you have forgotten, I was never able to leave Meridian until I was bound to you. Plus, my cousins never told me much about Ero when they were here as children; they mostly complained about how cold the weather is and now the flowers they loved in Meridian didn't grow in their homelands. From what I have managed to gather, they have similar customs as we do, so you don't have to worry too much. If you want, I'll do most of the talking until we know where we stand with them." Will was thankful that her husband was willing to play the fool so she wouldn't have to but knew that trick could only go so far.

"I just want them to like me." Sighed Will and dared a glance in the reflection of them in the balcony windows. Looking at them together, they did make a very odd pair. With her short hair and underdeveloped figure, she looked alien to this world while her husband fit in like a book in the library. Then again, she did remember wishing for a prince when she was little and in love with classic fairytales; now, fate gave her the prince she had asked for all those years ago. Considering how lovingly he held her and kissed the top of her head, Will had to chuckle to herself when she remembered the battles they used to get into when they were enemies. A little baffled at his wife's sudden mood change, Phobos pulled away from her a bit and looked down at Will confused.

"Is there something funny I am unaware of?" he asked as Will's chuckle turned into a burst of light-hearted laughter and Phobos began to wonder if all pregnant women changed moods this easily.

"Look at us," she jutted her chin at their reflection to make Phobos look at it. "We make such an odd pair; can you believe we used to hate each other?"

Phobos looked at their reflection and moved to stand behind her so they both could face their reflection comfortably. "We do make an odd couple, but a lot of things are odd lately; frankly, I'm not complaining. If you wish, I could start treating you like I have back when we were enemies. I could start keeping you in the dungeon, demand the heart from you, and do with you whatever comes to my mind. However, that seems rather tiering. Living like this, with you, seems a lot easier." His hands then ran down the sides of her body until they rested on top of her abdomen. "It will also be easier for our child. I would hate for it to have to visit its' mother in the dungeon daily."

"You are a lunatic." Chuckled Will and reached up to fun the back of her hand against his cheek. She was sure that, if he were a cat, that he'd be purring against her touch. Aware she was watching, he turned his head and gently kissed her hand before turning his attention to her neck and shoulder; a small part of him was sad that his beautiful wife was already with his child since he had hoped for, at least, one year of honeymoon bliss before they considered becoming parents. He didn't complain, however, since all the luck he was experiencing felt like a gift from the heavens for him. Will suppressed a giggle and pulled his arms a little tighter around her; her husband was prepared to abstain from touching her too roughly, but Will didn't intend to do the same. Leaning back a little, so she could whisper in his ear she said. "Could you help me with the knots of my dress?"

To her surprise, Phobos stopped kissing her and chuckled before holding her at arm's length and turning her to face him. With a slight smile on his lip, he looked down at his wife and shook his head. He already fought with himself not to give in to her demands and knew that should he see her bare, that he would give in and would continue to give in whenever she wanted it. If she weren't blessed with child, he wouldn't mind, but he wasn't going to risk the health of both his wife and child should he be too rough with her. "You fooled me once with that trick, you can't trick me a second time; especially since you aren't fully dressed anymore."

"You are just being careful because I am pregnant." Retorted Will but wasn't going to argue with him. She knew he only meant well, but just like her husband, Will had hoped she wouldn't conceive for a few years after their wedding; especially since she had promised this to her mother. Still, if she couldn't have what she wanted, she would make it difficult for her husband; she had to practice her behavior as queen after all. "I won't fight with you, but I want you to carry me to bed. I don't feel like walking."

Phobos raised an eyebrow at Will and looked between her and the bed that was less than ten steps away. Since she had the strength to pace around the bedroom like a trapped cat, he doubted Will was suddenly struck with weakness. Still, he wasn't going to fight since he already convinced her to come to bed. With a swift and fluent motion, he picked Will up like a new bride and brought her to bed.

XXXXX

Back on Earth, Taranee, Hay-Lyn, and Danny managed to half walk, half carry their drunken friend to Danny's house where Ella was waiting for Danny to return so she could go to work without having to worry about taking care of Gwen and Jack. When Danny did manage to return, Ella wanted to beat her over the head with the phone book; luckily, by the time Danny returned Ella didn't have the time, so she simply threw Danny a list of chores to do before bed and headed for work without noticing Irma's intoxicated state or the smell of alcohol and tobacco on Danny's clothes. Either that or Ella lost the ability to care long ago. Mike and Tony weren't home as well, so Danny was the last clear-minded 'adult' at home. With an exhausted sigh, Danny heaved Irma onto the worn-out sofa before turning to her remaining friends, "Thanks Ms. T and Y.F. Now, how about you two skedaddle on home before your parents begin to worry. I'll phone Irma's parents and tell them their daughter is staying with me for a bit. Next time you girls go to Meridian, remember to take me with you."

"Okay, I get the Ms. T reference, but what does Y.F. mean?" Hay-Lyn asked Taranee, who simply shrugged. From his seat on the recliner, where Danny was sure he had grown roots, Roger chuckled and said.

"She means Yellow Fever. I knew Danny was a chip off the old block."

"Uncle Roger, the day you turn out to be my dad is the day I turn out to be the Queen of England." Replied Danny before returning her attention to Taranee and Hay-Lyn, "But he is right, I do mean Yellow Fever."

"Wow, that is a bit on the…umm…uhh.." Taranee didn't know how to come to her friend's aid, but Danny seemed to do the work for her.

"Racist? Well, I wasn't born to be nice. I was born to hunt monsters and be a pain in the ass; so far, I am living up to my birthright." Both Taranee and Hay-Lyn were shocked at Danny's attitude towards her behavior, but they weren't surprised. Little surprised them about their new friend since meeting her.

"Danny, word of advice, that behavior isn't going to get you far in life. You are our friend, so we are worried about you. Meridian is safe, but you still could have gotten hurt. We wouldn't have searched for you if Meridian was a playground." Said Hay-Lyn, but Danny only shook her head at that advice.

"Girls, you forget that I was trained to hunt animals you folks see as monsters. Besides, I turned out alright, didn't I? Besides, calling each other names is what friends do." Finally, Hay-Lyn had reached her breaking point. She could understand Danny's behavior back in Canada, she could handle Danny's swearing, she could even understand Danny's sense of exploration, but Danny was choosing to be insulting in the guise of friendship. If Danny kept on that bath, she feared her friend's future was grim; worse, Danny seemed to look forward to it.

"Danny, friends don't call each other horrible names. If you really consider us your friends, then you'd call us by our real names until you can find proper nicknames for us; ones we enjoy as well. I don't like being called Yellow Fever." She cried, her voice close to cracking; however, before either Hay-Lyn or Taranee could continue, Danny spin around and faced them with an expression best directed towards an annoying toddler than close friends. Within three steps, she was in their face and used her height to look them straight in the eyes.

"Listen, folks, I get growing up in this lovey-dovey town has made all of you a little soft, but I ain't ready to treat anybody not sick or dying with velvet gloves. Now, word of advice from me; if I ever start to use your proper names, run for hills 'cause that means I am about to go on a killing spree." Her voice was level but carried a hint of warning what sent a chill down the girl's collective spines; sensing she was scaring her friends, Danny smiled calmly and said, "If you don't believe me, just ask Irma when she is sober. I am both bark and bite, but I don't bite people that don't piss me off. Now, skedaddle, and don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you before I start biting." She said the last part with so much vibrato, what Taranee and Hay-Lyn shrank back in fear Danny would hurt them; however, when Danny burst out laughing, they realized this must be one of her back moments. Still, they didn't want to overstay their welcome and quickly hurried out the door. Outside and out of Danny's earshot, they both agreed to keep clear of her for a while. Back inside, Danny chuckled to herself before turning her attention to her sleeping cousin.

"Irmsy dearest, wake up," Danny said in a soft tone and gently patted her friend's head when Irma only smiled in her sleep, Danny's gently smile dropped and her voice lowered a few notes. "Irms, if you don't wake up, I am gonna have Roger sit on your face."

This caught Irma's intoxicated attention and forced her eyes open before smiling up at her cousin with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I wish someone would look at me like he looked at her."

"You mean how Eyebrows look at Red? Don't worry, you'll get a guy to shag you one day." Replied Danny, thinking Irma was talking about Will and Phobos. Irma only shook her head and continued to smile while continuing ramble in her drunk mumble

"No, I mean Cedric. I want someone to sneak glances at me as he does with Miranda. Maybe there will be another wedding soon; Meridian weddings are magical. Remind me to tell Hay-Lyn to show us the pictures she took of Will's wedding. Maybe Miranda and Cedric's kids will be advisors to Will and Phobos's one day." Irma then trusted her fists in the air and shouting, "Family tradition! I just wonder what Miranda and Cedric's kids will look like…you know…with him being a snake and her being a spider."

"You mean Miranda kills her husbands like those black widows on Tv do?" asked Danny, praying that Irma would say yeas.

"Nah, she a spider. Not sure what kind though. I hope she ain't the kind to eat their men; I like our snake boy… he a cool dude…Will like Phobos…Phobos trusts Cedric…so I trust Cedric."

"Irmsy, I hope those two don't go on makin' babies. That would just be two nightmares colliding and ain't nobody got time for that. I wouldn't even know what to call those critters that are gonna crawl out of that cootch…or egg sack…wait, does Miranda lay eggs or give lives births?" asked Danny, her discomfort growing more and more.

"Don't know, but I'd call their babies sneaky-spiders." Replied Irma and laughed drunkenly.

"Spider-snakes rolls off the tongue better Irms."

"Danny," Irma then gazed at her friend lovingly, "you are awful."

"I know, and that is why people love me."

Author's Note:

At times, I regret delving so deep in the lore and history of Metarmoor. It is a tone of fun making this stuff up, but I am beginning to reread my own work to make sure I don't contradict myself. If I do, I am sorry, and I'll fix it as soon as possible. Yes, Cina was properly founded by prostitutes, but I based that on real world events. Fun Fact: the wild west would not have gotten as big as it did without the help of prostitutes.

Would you guys be interested in a test at the end of the story to see who has been paying attention and who wasn't? I did want to become a teacher once, so it would be nice to see if I can keep your attention.

Yeas I am implying a homosexual relationship between Irma and Danny; however, it will never really happen since they are related, Irma is straight as an arrow, and Danny is as asexual as an ameba. So, to keep things simple, they are just really close friends that can be weird together. Now, I did paint Danny in a bad light here on purpose and I hope all you can decipher that purpose before the end of the story; I'll just have you know that Danny is not a bad person, but just a pain in the ass that has been beaten over the head with a phone book once too many times.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, Phobos shook Will awake well before the light of dawn peeked over the horizon. Will groaned and tried to crawl deeper into the covers and she regretted not going to bed sooner as her husband suggested. She knew she had to get out of bed but hated the thought of crawling out of warm and comfortable bed and trade the comforts of her home for that of one she knew nothing about. With a tired voice, Will poked a hand out from under the covers and said, "Just five more minutes."

"Wilhelmina, the carriage will arrive in half an hour. The luggage is packed, and everyone is ready, I have already let you sleep well into the day and I want you to have breakfast before we have to go. Now, either get up or I'll force you to eat some toast; you know I have the power to do that to you." At her husband's words, Will groaned even louder before lifting the blanket off her and shooting her husband a look that was supposed to be angry but looked more like a grumpy toddler losing an argument with its' parent. Instead of dignifying the look, she was giving him with a response, he simply pulled the covers further away from her body with a grin and patted her head; at this point, Will had no choice but to get out of bed and prepare for the journey before them. Begrudgingly, Will crawled out of bed and got herself dressed in her favorite red dress, making sure to wear the broach her husband gave her a few days ago. Lovingly, Will stroked the tiny metal frog on her chest and sighed; he had managed to remember that she liked frogs and was happy he accepted that quirk of hers since was teased for liking those little amphibians.

After getting fully dressed and forcing a few slices of toast into her barely awake stomach, she joined her husband, Elyon, Orube, and Cedric in the courtyard where their back luggage sat as well. The courtyard was lit by several torches that bathed the snowy ground in a warm, orange glow; sadly, the torches offered no heat, as the air was biting cold and their breaths were visible as though each was smoking. Miranda had agreed to govern the castle while the group was gone, so she was there to see the group off. Suppressing a yawn, Will walked up to her husband and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"If our ride isn't here soon, I'll go back to bed. It should be illegal to get up this early and in the Winter no less." Muttered Will and Phobos simply rubbed her back to comfort her. Will lazily surveyed the boxes containing their clothes that they would need for the trip and was stumped when she counted one more than there were people. "Is someone else coming with us or is there another reason there are six crates instead of five?"

"The sixth one contains a little present for Princess Elizabeth. I know the invitation told us not to bring anything, but it is something that might be of great use for Isabella and Victor to help to raise a growing toddler." Replied Phobos. Will wanted to keep needling her husband about the contents of the box but dropped the subject; she'd find out tomorrow at the party anyway. Will sighed and straightened her back herself before asking, "So, what is the seating arrangement?"

Quickly and carefully, so no one would notice, Elyon pinched her brother's arm to remind him of her demands; she hadn't forgiven the royal couple yet and she planned on talking with her brother and sister-in-law about the secret they had promised not to keep from her. Her brother suppressed a hiss of pain and replied, "Orube and Cedric in one. You, Elyon, and I will share the other. You and Elyon still need to know a few things about Ero and I am sure Cedric can do the same for Orube."

Cedric wanted to interject since he could imagine a better journey to Ero than spending hours with Will's new bodyguard in closed quarters; however, he was too tired to interject. He had spent another night racked with nightmares that roused him from his sleep; each nightmare being worse than the last. In his last nightmare, he was trapped in a dark void with Will's maniacal laughter chasing like a dog would chase a rabbit. Then again, maybe he could get away with telling Orube the most important information and then napping the rest of the way until they reached Ero. Just as he was thinking about returning inside the Castle and giving Miranda a proper goodbye, he heard the sound of roaring shrieks that signaled the arrival of the wind stallions, so he gave up on that idea just as fast as he had it.

Soon, the shrieks became louder and louder, until Will thought her ears would bleed and she had to squeeze her eyes shut to keep them from vibrating from the soundwaves; then, the sound of creaking wood underlined the shrieks. Just when Will thought she couldn't take any more of this noise, there came a metal scraping sound and the noise stopped; when Will felt it was safe to open her eyes, she was stunned by what she saw. Will had expected creatures that looked like horses with wings, but the wind stallions came nowhere close to what she had imagined. Before her stood two robust, with iron reinforced carriages, each drawn by two creatures that resembled lions. The creatures didn't have wings, but on a closer look were covered in feathers that shimmered golden in the light of the torches. When one of the stallions yawned Will could see that they didn't have teeth, but bony plates meant to crush seeds and tough plant matter. They didn't appear to possess visible ears, so Will presumed they heard like birds. Looking down, Will noticed that, instead of cat paws, the creatures had hands similar to those of a gorilla and stood on their knuckles while on the ground like one. The only part that reminded Will of a horse was the tail. In a shaky voice, Will asked no one in particular, "Why are they called wind stallions? They don't look like horses."

"Well, Wilhelmina, I am not in charge of naming them, so my best guess is that they are called that because of the way they ride through the sky. Once they are in the air, they gallop like wild horses." Replied Phobos. He had seen and ridden on one before but was still mesmerized by them. "They can ride the winds because, according to their creation legend, the wind god Goath created them to pull the chariot of goddess Solas, who was the goddess of light. I can't confirm this though, but it does make for a fun story about them." Slowly, he ushered Elyon and Will closer to the creatures so they could get a better view of them, while the carriage drivers jumped from their seats and loaded the luggage onto the back of the wagons. For a moment, Phobos thought of encouraging Elyon to sit on one of the creatures so she could imagine riding one through the skies when he noticed a black patch of feathers on one of them and remembered his last encounter with it. "I am certain that Myra will encourage you to ride one of these things, but I strongly advise you to keep away from this one. He likes to buck his riders off; at least he did that with me."

"You rode one of these?" Elyon asked with amazement and carefully touched the one with the dark spot. The creature responded by snapping at her hand as a warning to keep away from him. Elyon obeyed the creature's demand and quickly pulled her hand back.

"Myra encouraged me, and I rode the one that just snapped at you. Either I did something wrong, or he just hates people riding him in general, but he threw me off. It is a day I'd rather not remember and not repeat. I'd advise against doing my mistake, but Myra can be very persistent."

"I'll keep that in mind." Replied Elyon and quickly moved to the door of the carriage, wanting more distance between herself and the creature. Without another word to Cedric, Phobos first helped Elyon into the carriage before helping Will and then climbed in himself. The inside of the carriage was warm, and the fur-covered seats and walls invited anyone to sit back and enjoy a comfortable ride; the ride itself, however, was anything but comfortable. Though the stallions galloped gracefully through the skies, the carriage rattled and swayed with every gust of wind, and Elyon was convinced a couple of times that the carriage was going to rip loose from the stallions reigns and drop out of the sky like a rock. Despite being worried about their safety in this box made of wood and iron, Elyon kept the sour demeanor she had chosen to wear until her brother and Will properly apologized for keeping the pregnancy from her. After half an hour of awkward silence, Phobos sighed and leaned closer to his sister, who was sitting across from her.

"Elyon, I am sorry for not telling you sooner. Wilhelmina and I thought we should keep it a secret for a bit until things settled and thought the time was right to announce it. Do you have any idea the stress we'd be through, what stress Wilhelmina would be through if everyone found out? Hundreds of royals from all over Metarmoor would come by to congratulate us, the people would be in a frenzy and make bets on what it would be, Irma would run in circles like a headless chicken, and Susan would try to strangle me if she got the chance. I understand you are angry with me, I'd be angry too if I were in your position." When he got no reaction from his sister, he leaned back in his seat again and sighed. "If it makes you feel better, you can kick me la-"

Elyon quickly decided to take her brother up on his offer and shot her foot out, kicking him hard in the shin and making him yelp in pain.

"Elyon, what has gotten into you?" Will gasped and took hold of her husband's arm, who was holding his throbbing knee and tried to breathe through the pain.

'What has gotten into me? What has gotten into you? At the cabin, you both promised me that you'd tell me the moment you had one. Now, I find out that you two knew for months and decided not to tell me and placate me with dumb excuses! Phobos is right, I have every right to be angry. I don't know why you two decided to keep it a secret since the Oracle knew anyway and has told Orube. Who knows whom she told by the time she got to Meridian. It seems everyone knows everything and is keeping me in the dark on purpose. It feels so unfair!" she snapped back and kept her arms crossed and her face set on a scowl, even though she regretted kicking her brother the moment she did.

"Elyon, we didn't consider the Oracle know about this until we decided to keep it a secret. Now, I am sorry I went back on my promise, but there is little we can do about it now except say we are sorry. I get you are angry, but that kind of behavior is not right. Now, either get over it or keep stewing throughout our trip to Ero." Will snapped back and returned Elyon's scowl. Through she didn't want to, she couldn't help but feel as angry towards Elyon as she did with Phobos back when they were enemies; it didn't help that Elyon resembled her brother a lot when she was angry. Elyon, still trying to appear angry, lowered her gaze to the floor.

"I am sorry." She mumbled. She still felt wronged by their actions but knew she couldn't stay angry at them for long. She loved Will and her brother just as much, so staying mad was an impossible task. Thinking of a way to clear the tension and change the subject at the same time, Elyon asked. "So, you said I had to know a few things about our family in Ero. Anything, in particular, I need to remember?"

"They are distant relatives." Started Phobos as the pain ebbed in his knee. "Seras was cousin to Queen Weria and grew up in Meridian while Ero and Morovia were rattling sabers. She moved back to Ero when she married her husband, King Pegan. She and Pegan have three daughters, but I only ever met two and Seras is pregnant with their fourth child. If I am correct, their youngest daughter is named Korinthia and is only a year or two younger than you; Princess Myra is three months older than me and Queen Isabella is three years younger than me. Myra was supposed to be the next queen of Ero but denied the crown and devoted her life to celibacy and studying everything there is to know in Metarmoor. If there is anything you want to know about this world, Myra is the best to ask. Isabella is the current queen of Ero and married the captain of Ero's guard. His name is Victor and together, they have a daughter who is turning one tomorrow, which is why we are traveling to Ero. Pegan has a sister named Armana and she is the Duchess of Ero. She has a son named Dante; I only ever saw the boy and never really spoke with him, even when he accompanied his mother to the peace negotiation between Ero and Morovia."

"That is a lot to take in," replied Elyon and shook her head as though her brother just dumped a bucket of water on her head.

"It is a lot, that I know, but it is the most important information. It will all become self-explanatory once you meet them. Just remember to keep out of trouble and stay away from the wind stallions, even if Myra dares you. I took her up on that dare once and nearly died because of it." By now the pain in his knee was gone and he could sit comfortably again, though he did keep his knees tucked in so Elyon would have a harder time kicking him, should she decide she wasn't done being angry with him yet.

"Part of me wants to know what happened and another part of me doesn't want to know." Muttered Will and took her husband's hand. If he wanted to, he'd tell her the whole story, but it didn't have to be today.

"All anyone needs to know, is that Myra dared me to ride the one with the dark spot and it bucked me off mid-air. I nearly died but was saved before I turned into a bloody stain on the earth. I don't really remember who saved me since I was just recovering from a bad fever and my memory of that time is hazy at best. I do remember Isabella and Myra gifting me a bag of Ero candies called sugar drops. They are so sweet that they will turn you away from sweets for the rest of your life. I highly advise both of you not to try them." at the memory of sweets, a shiver ran through Phobos. Since he had one of those candies, he could never stomach even the thought of eating another candy. On some days, even the sight of sweets made him nauseous.

"I'll keep that in mind." Replied Elyon, but her curiosity about the candy was awake and she wondered if the sweets were as bad as her brother said they were. He did tend to exaggerate a few things. Will decided, however, to abstain from trying the sweets; too much sugar had to be bad for the baby anyway. Despite the bumpy ride, Will was warm and comfortable, so she leaned her head on her husband's shoulder and closed her eyes; within moments, the Meridian Queen was napping peacefully.

Elyon, who herself, hadn't slept well the previous night only shook her head at her friend. Will seemed to possess the ability to fall asleep anywhere she pleased and, at times, Elyon thought her friend was part cat. Then, Elyon's eyes moved to take in the full picture and shook her head; Will and her brother did make an odd couple. Phobos noticed his sister's questioning expression and asked, "What is the matter?"

"I still can't believe you two are together. It seems like, just yesterday, I discovered you were my brother, you were trying to drain me of my magic, and Will was on the mission to kick your butt. Now you two are all lovey-dovey and are expecting a baby, all because you were poisoned to love her, and she felt too sorry to leave you in the dirt." Answered Elyon with a suppressed chuckle.

"Well, life is strange. Personally, I don't see the attempt on my life with poison as a bad thing. I see it as a final wake-up call and the pain I feel when she is not around as a reminder of how dull my life was without her. With everything Wilhelmina has done for Meridian and I, it is a miracle she decided to give me a chance. I understand how you feel though, I can't believe it myself on some days. It seems like a dream, but if it is, I don't plan on waking up anytime soon." He chuckled and gave the hand of his sleeping wife a light squeeze.

"I hope you never wake up." Replied Elyon cheerfully. "I like the new you better and I bet, so does Meridian." She then relaxed and let her scowl fade away completely. "I still call dibs as the person you call to babysit. It will be my niece or nephew, and Irma might run off with the baby and keep it if what Danny says is true." Her voice tone than changed to a low and calm demeanor so she wouldn't run the risk of waking Will. "How far along are you two? I mean, with the baby."

"We aren't quite sure, but Wilhelmina suspects about two months at most. She said there are ways on Earth to tell how far the development of a baby is in the womb, but I know nothing about it and it would be very difficult for her to get to a clinic without her mother discovering the pregnancy. We did promise Susan to wait until Wilhelmina was older before considering having children. I already survived two attempts on my life, I doubt I'd survive a third." He answered and nervously fiddled with his hands. It felt awkward to include his sister in something so intimate, considering their checkered past. Elyon could only stifle a laugh; for as noble and well-mannered her brother was, he was just a guy with more than normal problems.

"My best friend and my brother had an accident that they are trying to hide. It all sounds so normal if it weren't for the fact that you are from another world and magic exists. On Earth, there are dozens of couples that have kids in their teens by accident. I'll keep your secret, but Susan is going to find out sooner or later; pregnant women do tend to have a noticeable bump after all."

"Don't forget, you are from this world too." Added Phobos, glad his sister didn't hold a grudge and was willing to keep her mouth shut about Will's condition in front of Susan for as long as possible. "We will tell Susan eventually, but when we do, I'll make sure to stir clear of her for a very long time."

XXXXX

In the other wagon, Orube regretted looking forward to being alone with the Lord. She had hoped to talk with him about Meridian, Ero, and each other to make the ride seem shorter but Cedric was as talkative as a brick wall and as grumpy as a wet cat. If anything, the presence of the Lord made the journey seem longer and even less pleasant than it already was. Finally, at the end of her nerves, Orube sighed and muttered. "You knew the trip was going to be like this, so you should have gone to bed earlier as I did."

"I did go to bed early I just didn't sleep well." Cedric snapped back; he too, had imagined a better trip to Ero, but he was stuck with a stranger and had to make the best of it. However, since he was going to be stuck with this stranger for a few hours, he decided to make the best of it. Besides, maybe Orube could be swayed to onto his side instead of serving Will as a bodyguard and second-rate guardian replacement. "Every day Queen Wilhelmina comes up with new ideas for Meridian. King Phobos barely thinks of the implications it will have on the kingdom before giving the order to implement it, and I am the one left with all the work. I have to make sure the guards are fed, trained, new recruits arrive, and old or disabled soldiers get a proper retirement. One would think those two would hire a few more of me to do all the work, but that is not the case, sadly. Worse, my old friend doesn't consider the amount of work I do and thinks I can handle anything. I try to tell him I can't do everything, but I can't get myself to do it. The King thinks so highly of me, after all, we have been through. If it weren't for Phobos, I would be dead and if it weren't for me, so would he. If I failed him now, it would be as though I failed all we have been through."

Orube was stunned. She had known Will had ordered a lot of changes for Meridian since becoming queen, but she had never thought of how the changes were put into order. Part of her had assumed that Meridian had an entire committee dedicated to Meridian's evolving social structure; then again, she should have known that was wishful thinking. Will has only been Queen for less than a year and finding the proper people for all her ideas would take half a decade at the minimum. Where she first, thought the Lord was being a prick, she now pitied the man.

"Well, where I am from, my people talk about their problems. My mother would call you an idiot for keeping quiet about the stress you are under, and my father would tell you that you'll eventually break under the pressure. A King and Queen can run a kingdom, but they need their lords and other subordinates to govern it. If you break, who will be there to help them?" For a moment, Cedric considered what Orube was saying. She was right, if he didn't start being honest with his King, then sooner or later he will break under the pressure of having to run the kingdom for them while they spend their days dreaming up new tasks for him and spending their nights in eat other's arms. Sure, Phobos's life depended on being near Will and having the warm body of a woman in one's bed made the old Meridian nights more bearable, but nothing could change his mind that crowning their former enemy was a good idea. In his eyes, Meridian worked fine before she came along, and he decided to test the waters with Orube by voicing this.

"If Wilhelmina didn't dream up so many unnecessary changes, I could do my work as Lord of Meridian a lot easier. Meridian worked fine before her-"Orube didn't let Cedric finish his sentence before snapping back.

"Meridian wasn't doing fine." Her words were as sharp as a knife and all pity she had for Cedric vanished within the moment he voiced his thoughts. "The people were starving, the soldiers were drunk with power, and if your King kept down that path he was one he'd be dead before the age of thirty. Now, I know the work is hard, but if you two hadn't ridden Meridian into the muck as you had, everyone's lives would have been so much easier."

"When we took control of Meridian, we set out to create the perfect world and we would have succeeded. All construction work looks horrid before turning beautiful." Replied Cedric though it was a week retort. "If you ask me, Phobos should have never married Will; it is the worst mistake of his life."

"Careful what you say, Cedric. Those words could get you severely punished and-"

"And what?" now it was Cedric's turn to cut her off. "What are you going to do? Tell Will and Phobos what I said? Who do you think they are going to believe, me, or a complete stranger?"

"I have been ordered by the Oracle to keep her safe and that is what I intend to do."

"Oh, the Oracle. Pardon me; it isn't like the Oracle could have prevented everything that happened by telling us. It isn't like he knew Queen Weria was going to die by the hands of her own son. It isn't as though he willingly let King Zadan and my father attempt multiple assaults on Phobos's life. The all-knowing Oracle probably didn't even know some low-life rebel boy was going to poison Phobos and bind him to Will for the rest of his life. Sorry love, but I think your boss is keeping a lot from you and the rest of us that could have saved lives. Unlike your boss, Phobos and I worked hard to run the kingdom fair and proper." As he talked, Cedric's voice reached a crescendo that overpowered rattling of the carriage through the skies and made Orube, who usually didn't retreat from fights so easily, shrink back a bit in her seat. Still, she had to defend Will's honor in some way, even if all she could do was point out the flaws in Cedric's logic.

"You call soldiers beating civilians to a pulp because they were missing identification fair and proper?"

"The people were told about the new law long before the soldiers were starting to punish them. It was a necessary law that had to be implemented for tax purposes. The people were going about claiming they had already paid their taxes when they hadn't by pretending to be someone who had. One wheat farmer even claimed to be me and got away with it for three years! The government-issued identification papers put an end to it. Taxes were being properly paid, the troops were kept fed, and the roads were kept working." When Orube didn't interject or reply, Cedric felt that he had won the argument and smiled with satisfaction. Still, he felt that he had to enjoy his victory a little more. "Unless you can come up with a better idea to evade tax fraud. If you do, I'd love to hear it."

"I still don't think having your troop run around the kingdom to frighten the people was a good thing to do." Was her only response and Cedric triumphantly.

"And I don't like people claiming to be me to commit crimes. If you are going to live with us in Meridian and protect the Queen from all that could harm her, you have to face the fact that there are a lot of crooks in Meridian and it was those crooks that the troops were after."

For the rest of the journey, Cedric and Orube remained as quiet as mice; each thinking their own thoughts.

XXXXX

In Ero, Armana was glad when Orlan finally left for Morovia in early hours of the morning as he hadn't allowed the Duchess to sleep a single minute the previous night. The King was convinced that he was an experienced lover, but all he did was give her bruises to the point the inside of her thighs were colors of a grotesque rainbow, with shades of brown, green, purple, blue, and red reaching from her knees to her hips and even colored her breasts. Thankfully, King Orlan found it unnecessary to stay and celebrate her niece's birthday and so Armana had her bed to herself again; however, the royals of Meridian were to arrive soon, so she didn't have the time to catch up on the lost sleet and had to bit her teeth through the day so stay awake. Wanting to stay away from her family, Armana washed up the best she could, got dressed, and walked to Ionah's study. There, she found her advisor seated at her desk with a needle in one hand and a hollow crystal rose in the other; from what she could tell, Ionah was filling the rose with red water through a tiny opening in the rose's base.

"What are you doing?" asked Armana as she looked over her advisor's shoulder. It appeared the horned woman was constructing a broach in the shape of a rose.

"I am making a small gift for the guests. One of them has been going through a very hard time, so I thought they could use a small token of appreciation."

"I thought we were supposed to get rid of the Meridian royals, not keep them as pets." Countered Armana, which earned her a chuckle from her advisor, who simply continued her work on the broach.

"Here, I have to correct you, my Duchess. The plan was that I get to keep the Queen while we get rid of the other royals that pose a threat. Since only the King poses a major threat to our plans, we have to get rid of him and, maybe, his sister."

"Why don't we get rid of the Queen as well?" asked Armana as she poured herself a glass of the wine Ionah kept in her room. The wine was bitter but felt soothing on her dried throat. "She is just going to be unnecessary weight for us."

'You promised me that the Queen is mine to do with as I pleased. She has wronged me in the past, so it is only fair that I get to make her suffer as I had." Ionah lied. Will didn't even know she existed and Ionah hadn't known Will existed until she married into the Meridian royal family, but if Will was pregnant, as she suspected, then she needed to keep her alive long enough for her to give birth. Should the entire Meridian family be eliminated at the party, then Armana's plans might have come to fruition, but all her years of hard work would have been for nothing.

"Fine, I'll keep my promise. I still wonder what giving them a token would do for us except make their corpses more bejeweled."

"The broach is for the Lord of Meridian, Cedric. If we want our plans to work, we need more pawns to protect you. Who else, but a disgruntled servant that is easy to be moved to our side. I already recruited one pawn and am working on a few more, but we need at least two for our plans tomorrow. One to do the dirty work and one as a cover. If all goes well, which it will, then you will be a survivor of a horrendous attack on your family by tomorrow evening."

"And then I'll be Queen of Ero." Armana finished the sentence before Ionah could, "and the rest of Metarmoor by the end of the year."

XXXXXX

After a few more hours of traveling in the rattling carriage, the wind stallions shrieked again to signal the upcoming landing. Elyon carefully pulled back a curtain covering the windows of the carriage to peek at her new surroundings; she didn't have the nerves earlier since she rarely flew and was scared of what she might see. What she saw, surprised her. Underneath them were fields and fields of crops that hugged the mountain-like remains of a giant crater; beyond the walls of the crater, a sparkling city lay nestled within, fully protected by the crater. At the center of the city, surrounded by another set of walls, sat the castle; with its' towers, pointy roofs that were topped by flags, and lush gardens it resembled the castles in Elyon's favorite fairytale books. Seeing the castle in all its' shimmering glory, Elyon couldn't help but compare it to Meridian; however, where Meridian was covered in gloomy weather most of the time, Ero shone like a diamond in the sun. Despite the sunny weather, Elyon felt an odd chill creeping through the window and she hoped that was just because they were at higher altitudes. Seeing the amazement in his sister's eyes, Phobos too glanced out the window and smiled to himself. "You can tell we are their cousins just by the way they constructed their home."

"If all goes well, can we visit ore often?" Asked Elyon; she never once took her eyes off the quickly approaching castle.

"If your parents and Isabella allows it, you might be allowed to live here." Chuckled Phobos, which awoke the napping Will. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes, noticed that both her husband and sister-in-law were gazing out the window, and then looked herself.

"Oh great," she said with a yawn, "we are almost there."

Within minutes, the rattling of the carriage became worse to the point Elyon was certain their wooden box would fall apart before finally landing. The moment they landed, and the shaking stopped, Elyon let out a sigh of relief; they had landed without anything going wrong. Still, her back hurt a little from the constant shakes and she felt as though her butt vibrated worse than the time she traveled to Canada. The moment they were safe on the ground, Phobos opened the door and jumped out to help the girls down safely. First, Elyon demanded to be let out of the carriage; she knew she wouldn't feel completely safe until her feet touched the ground, which was alright with Will since she could feel the cold of the outside creep in through the door and didn't want to trade the carriage for it. Reluctantly, she let her husband lift her out of the carriage, allowing him to sneak a quick kiss to her cheek as he did.

Since they were visiting royals Will, Elyon, and Orube expected some form of a servant to greet them and show them the way to the throne room where Isabella would receive them; to their surprise, it was the retired queen Seras who rushed down the stairs to that led to the courtyard that greeted them. The first one she embraced was Phobos, who was nearly knocked off his feet when the tall woman; this was the first thing Will noticed, the woman's height. The second thing Will noticed was that the woman was rather young to be retired. Seras appeared barely older than Susan; then again, if marrying age was this low, this was to be expected.

"Phobos my boy, it has been so long," she cued before holding him at arm's length to examine him better. "Look how much you have grown. Oh, Isabella and Myra can't wait to see you again. Why did you never write to us?"

"I have," Phobos gasped as the old Queen's embrace nearly crushed his lungs. "You must never have received them. May I introduce you to wife Wilhelmina and my little sister Elyon?"

It was when he mentioned them that Seras's attention was on them and Will was the first to experience the power of the Queen's embrace. Secondly, when her body was pressed against the Queen's body that she noticed the massive bump hidden under the warm winter cloak.

"Wilhelmina Vandom, it is an honor and a pleasure to meet you." The old Queen's voice was warm yet strangely energetic at the same time. When Seras held her too at arm's length to examine her, Will noticed faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and forehead, as well as a few gray hairs hidden between the woman's lush blond curls.

"It is a pleasure meeting you too, your highness." Gasped Will and tried to smile at the woman.

"Oh please, we are all family. Call me Seras." She replied with a chuckle, "I wanted to meet you back at your wedding, but I have been a little held back, as you can see." She then placed her hands on her swollen belly for emphasis. "Fell pregnant just before the wedding and haven't been of much use since. This little rascal has been making me sick to my stomach and kept me up at night. I never had this much trouble with my girls, so that means it has to be a boy."

Before Will could congratulate her, Seras had already moved on to greeting Elyon, who was forced to suffer through the same treatment as the others.

"Oh Elyon, it is so great to finally meet you." Instead of examining her at arm's length like the others, Seras proceeded to hold Elyon's face in both hands and squished it like she were a baby. "Your mother and I were awfully close friends. If she could see you now, if she could see both you and your brother now, she'd be over the moon."

From behind the old Queen came dry laughter as though the person from which it stemmed had been smoking for several years. When Will looked up, she spotted a man with shoulder-length black hair, a beard, and a cane standing on top of the stairs. He was leaning heavily on his cane and smiled down at them as though they were all long-expected drinking companions.

"Well, I'll be damned. Prince Phobos finally decided to come out of hibernating in Meridian to visit his family. Who knew all it would take was for him to marry someone." When he finished chuckling, he hobbled down the few steps with such effort, Will was certain that he'd fall over. When he got closer, Will could see why; his legs were crooked and his knees didn't bend, which would explain the reason for the cane. When he approached them, he stuck out his hand in greeting instead of hugging them as the other royal had. "I am King Pegan and it is a pleasure to meet you." Pegan then turned a cheeky eye towards Will and smiled at her. "I have no idea how you met this hermit, but I am glad you did. Who knows where he would be if it weren't for you."

Just then, the carriage carrying Cedric and Orube arrived and when they climbed out, Orube had the demeanor of a cat drenched in water while Cedric carried a smug grin on his face. For a moment, Will thought something had gone on between them, but she wasn't allowed to finish her thought when Seras similarly greeted them both to the rest.

"And here we have Cedric. You look so much like your father now that you are all grown up. You have to tell me everything that has happened since I left. I have heard the news, but you know how things get overdramatized." Her smile was so bright, and her voice so filled with happiness that Cedric felt he were a child again. His smug grin faded and was replaced by a genuine smile directed at the old Queen.

"I'll make sure to tell you everything I know." Replied Cedric, just as Seras's attention turned to Orube.

"And who do we have here, Is she your new lady-love?"

"Oh no no no," Orube responded faster than lighting. "I am Queen Wilhelmina's new bodyguard. I have been ordered by the Oracle to protect her at all times."

"The Oracle," Seras's smile faded and was replaced by one that clearly reflected how low she thought of the man. "That is a surprise to hear considering everything that has happened in recent years."

"The longer I am away from Kandrakar, the more I meet people that think poorly of him and I'd really like to know why since he is my boss." Orube began to get worried that what Cedric had told her was true. She barely ever spoke to the Oracle, but the few times she met him he seemed level-minded and kind; especially since he had chosen her to replace Cornelia as one of the guardians and Will's personal protector.

"I'll tell you about the Oracle and the hand he has played in everything in due time." Replied Seras, her smile quickly returning to her face and she began to usher the group to the stairs. "But first, let's get all of you inside the castle and out of the cold. I know how a ride with wind stallions can be, so I won't be cruel; some soft seats and a warm drink or two should be enough to settle your nerves and we have plenty of both inside."

Author's Note:

With a week of no internet because of road constructions, a successful job interview where I only need a school for the field to accept me, and a creative block on Frozen Heart I managed to crank out three long chapters of Bloody Throne. A lot of what is in this chapter will be a recap of Frozen Heart, but all four stories flow into each other, so that is to be expected.

I hope you guys enjoyed the design of the wind stallions. At first I thought of making them Pegasus, but that would have been too cliché, so I just went nuts on their design. I am not sure how they fly either, without wings, so I am using the excuse that they are magic.

I am assuming all of you know where this story is heading, but it is the journey that counts, not the end. Still, I have to ask again who you all think Ionah is and what her end goal is?


	22. Chapter 22

Where the outside weather of Ero was freezing despite the lack of snow and plentiful sunshine, the inside of the castle was warm and inviting, with large tapestries covering the walls, thick carpets on the floor, and a warm fire blazing in every fireplace they came across. They didn't have much time to observe the intricately woven tapestries or the fine carvings on the furniture they came across, as Seras giddily rushed them to the throne room where Isabella awaited them. However, undenounced to them, the group was being watched by Ratun from behind one of the thick tapestries. Hungerly, he observed the guests, his pale eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets as they racked over the women in the group. His eyes immediately fell onto Will; with her chest that seemed flatter than a plate, short red hair, and common features she appeared more like a farmer's daughter dressed as a Queen than anything else. She wasn't beautiful; he didn't even consider her attractive enough to be a rose maiden, however, there was a scent on her that intrigued him. She smelled of wild iris and that other world; the smell of the other world stung his sensitive nose and churned his stomach. There was something filthy about the smell of that world made him wish he would never have to see it for himself. Still, even if she wasn't pretty and reeked of that other world, he wouldn't have denied a taste of her had she been an untouched virgin. Sadly, she wasn't Ratun could smell the scent of her husband all over her; it was a smell that reminded the boy, who had grown up in the perfume sector of Ero, or roses and cedarwood.

Princess Elyon, however, was more to his liking. Though she too reeked of that strange world, she was still untouched, and her looks were soothing to the eyes. Though he desired Princess Myra the most, he wouldn't mind having Elyon as one of his rose maidens, if she survived tomorrow's events. From where he hid, she smelled of honeysuckles, fresh rain, and a warm summer breeze. Next, his sights fell onto the other woman in their group. She was prettier than Will, but not as radiant as the princess. For a moment, Ratun thought she was one of the King's concubines, but dropped tat thought when he didn't detect a single hint of the King on her. She was pretty enough that he considered her another concubine for himself, but the smell that clung to her was enough to turn him off her good looks; she smelled of cats, which were creatures Ratun despised more than anything else in the world. Soon, the royals were gone from his view and Ratun was left alone again. Part of him pitied the group since they'd have less than twenty-four hours left to live, but he didn't let that sway his loyalty to Armana.

The throne room, unlike Meridian's, was a large, circular room with a domed ceiling and windows reaching from floor to ceiling all around the flooded the room with light. In the center of the room, holding their little girl, stood the current King and Queen of Ero. Isabella was even more beautiful than Will remembered; with the silk-like dress that hugged every curve of her form and crystal crown on her head that reflected the light in a scattering array of colors, the Ero Queen appeared more like a goddess than a human. Isabella, once she saw their guests, handed her daughter over to her husband, and quickly ran and embraced first Phobos and then Will.

"It had been too long since I've seen you." Isabella's voice was as sweet as honeysuckles and Will couldn't help but feel envious when she hugged Phobos. She couldn't tell why, but something inside her, told her that Isabella was more worthy of Phobos's attention than she was and Will hated that feeling. However, she swallowed the sensation and smiled at Isabella as warm as she could.

"I agree, it has been too long." Replied Phobos as Isabella moved to embrace Will with a similar strength to Queen Seras. "Had you written, as you promised, then it wouldn't have felt as long."

"Myra and I did write, but we never received a letter from you, so after a while, I gave up. Myra and mother continued for a while, but we all stopped after a year of no replies." Responded Isabella before turning their attention to the man holding the toddler. "Now, if I may, this is my husband Victor and my daughter Elizabeth."

"Pleasure meeting you, sir." Victor's voice was loud and sharp when he shook the royal's hands and smiled at them. "Isabella and Myra told me a lot about you. I wish there had been more time at the wedding to introduce ourselves, but I didn't want to hog your time from the other guests. Perhaps now, we can catch up?"

"It would be a pleasure," responded Will and noted how, though he was handsome, Victor wasn't as good looking as her husband. Where Phobos's hair was a pale blond, Victor's was almost brown. Where Phobos's eyes were blue with streaks of brown and green, Victor's were a simple brown; basically, if Will had to pick favorites, which she was, she'd pick her husband over Victor anytime. Then again, maybe it wasn't his looks that drove Isabella to him; after all, it wasn't his looks that attracted Will to Phobos, though they did play a decent part in it.

"May I introduce our daughter Elizabeth? I can't believe she is almost a full year old; feels like yesterday that I held her in my arms for the first time." Victor proudly presented the young princess to the royals. The infant, who didn't know better, simply cooed and tried to stick her whole fist into her mouth. "One day, she will be Queen of this kingdom and I both await and dread that day."

"She is so adorable." Cheered Elyon and squeezed past Will and Phobos to get a better look at the little Princess. "She looks just like you, Victor and she has her mother's eyes." And what Elyon said was true, Elizabeth did possess her mother's glowing sapphire-blue eyes.

"Yes, she sure is something." Interrupted Seras and lightly ticked her granddaughter, who squealed in response and kicked her tiny feet that were covered in tiny, blue, silk boots. "And she holds the promise of magic as well. She can levitate, not well, but enough to escape her crib and wonder about the castle."

"Especially into my study." Came a voice from behind the group. When they turned around, a raven-haired, ruby-eyed, beauty rushed through the doors of the throne room and greeted the group with a warm smile. She didn't hug them like Seras, and Isabella had, but her greeting was just as warm and inviting. Will deduced that this, had to be Myra and she was just as beautiful as her sister. Full of reproach, she stood before Will and Phobos and continued her warm smile; Will could tell she wanted to hug them just as much as the rest of her family had but kept herself at bay. "It has been so long since I've seen you."

"It has been a long time since we have seen you, Myra. We missed you at the wedding." Replied Phobos and returned the smile at his cousin. "Honestly, I half expected you to burst through the doors and lift me off the ground with one hand while doing the same with Cedric."

"Well, if this means you give your permission." She responded and quickly wrapped her arms around Phobos's middle and tried to lift him off the ground. However, a few years had passed since she last saw her cousin and his muscle weight combined with her tall, yet petite form prevented her from lifting him off the ground even an inch. Failed in her efforts, Myra huffed and grumbled, "If you hadn't grown like a beanstalk, I could easily lift you off the ground without breaking a sweat."

"It would also help, had you lifted anything other than your books over the years." Responded Cedric. Myra spun around on her heels and glared at the Lord.

"You are just as much at fault." She snapped and compared her height to that of Cedric and Phobos as though they were children again. "I used to be taller than either one of you and now I am a good head shorter. You boys had no right to grow taller than me."

"Oh hush Myra, that is no way to greet our family; besides, you knew they'd grow taller than you one day, so there is no need to be bitter." Chided Seras and gave her daughter a light slap on the back.

"I knew they'd grow taller, but not by so much. I am older than them, so why shouldn't I be mad?" Myra grumbled, but a grin tugged at the corner of her lips, indicating that she wasn't as angry as she claimed to be. Just then, another voice echoed through the room and it was that of a young girl.

"Are those our guests from Meridian?" the voice belonged to a young girl that looked to be barely older than Elyon. Her straw-blond hair was fastened in tight curls similar to Seras's and her form promised to every bit like Seras's once she grew up. Still, there was a snobbish undertone in her voice that Will despised; then again, perhaps that was part of being royalty.

"Korinthia, come close and meet your cousins Phobos and Elyon." Seras either didn't hear the tone in the child's voice or didn't care. She simply smiled at the girl and ushered her closer. The child named Korinthia stepped closer and eyed the visiting royals as though they were a loaf of bread or piece of cloth she considered purchasing.

"So, you are my cousins? I can see the resemblance between the both of you." She meant Elyon and Phobos, "But I don't see it between mother and you. How exactly are we related?"

"Korinthia, that is enough." Hissed Seras and shooed her youngest daughter away before addressing her guests with a tired smile. "Please excuse her, she has suffered from raging mood swings since reaching womanhood. In another year, she is set to marry Duke Morpheus of Cina, and she has been switching between loathing that day and looking forward to it. She has known him since she was a baby, but she doesn't like the idea of moving away from Ero. I hate the thought as well, but the birds eventually have to leave the nest."

"Oh, no offense taken." Replied Will and felt a little sorry for the little girl. Will could only relate how she must feel since she herself was frightened of moving away from Heatherfield to live in Meridian.

"What is the matter, Will. You seem a little tense?" indeed, Seras was right. Will had expected a completely different reception to the one she got. She had prepared herself for a royal reception with grand announcements, instead, she was greeted with the same warmth she expected from a family back on Earth.

"Everything is fine, just a little rattled from the long journey. I expect a ride with wind stallions to be a little smoother than it actually was."

"Tell me about it." Interjected Myra as though she too, recently traveled with these beasts. "They may look graceful, but they are anything but that." She then smiled and walked towards the doors of the throne room. "Good thing that I know the exact cure for such a thing. Phobos, Elyon, and Will please come follow me."

"What about Orube and I?" asked Cedric. He too had missed Myra and felt left out when she wanted to speak with the others in private.

"I'll catch up with you later, Warrior Snake, but I have been working on this for years and I won't wait much longer," she called back as she waited at the door for her cousin and his family to follow.

"But-"Cedric was about to protest, but Phobos cut him off.

"Cedric, you know how useful it is to argue with Myra. Just stand by and I'll fill you and Orube in on what you missed once we get back." With that, he ushered Will and Elyon to follow Myra. Cedric only glared daggers at his friend's back. Once again, he was left out of something he would have been a part of had, Will, not been there. Victor and Pegan didn't seem to notice the angry stare in the Lord's eyes and so, Pegan patted the young man on his shoulder.

"Come now, my boy." His voice seemed to carry the chuckle of a man that has seen many hardships and wanted to spend the rest of his days enjoying the pleasures life had to offer. "Let us have a drink while we wait for your King and Queen to return."

"You boys enjoy a drink." Added Seras and took her granddaughter from Victor's arms. "I'll take Orube with me. Since she is Wilhelmina's personal guard, she must know a bit about her. I'd like to learn a little more about her since she is part of the family now."

XXXXX

To Will's and Elyon's dismay, Myra led them back outside where another carriage awaited them, this one drawn by two Hoogongs that snapped at each other as they waited for their passenger. Myra jumped into the carriage with ease and the girls let Phobos, begrudgingly, lift them in after her. Though this ride was more luxurious than their last, neither Will nor Elyon were looking forward to another journey; especially since the castle promised more comfort.

"Myra, we had quite the journey to Ero and would, at least, like to know where you are taking us?" Phobos knew Will and Elyon were tired, but since there was no use to argue with Myra, had allowed the Princess of Ero to lead them away from the Castle. Myra kept the smile, like that of a child on Christmas Day, and patted the book that had been placed in the carriage on her orders. The book was as thick as pumpkin and the leather cover was worn thin with age.

"As you know, I have been studying the Creation Theory of Metarmoor and all legends connected to it. Now, many of these legends mention a temple dedicated to the old gods. I am proud to announce that my people have unearthed said temple and it is in remarkable condition."

"You took us out of the castle and into another bumpy ride to show us a bunch of old rocks?" Asked Elyon with a frown. She didn't mean to be rude, but the lack of sleep, lack of food, uncomfortable seating, and recent revelations have made her crankier than she ever thought possible.

"Not just any old rocks," Countered Myra as she had expected this from people who hadn't spent as much time as she had with the legends. "They are THE old rocks. Many legends feature the temple and when I say that it is remarkably well preserved, then I mean it. All of the statues still carry their titles engraved on their base."

"And this couldn't have waited until later because?" Elyon still wasn't convinced that a trip to some old ruins was worth leaving the castle for. Phobos, unlike his sister, was eager to hear what Myra had to say.

"Elyon, are you aware of the legends behind the Light of Meridian? I am after the true legend and their meanings and not what people claim to be the meaning behind it." Now, Myra had even caught Will's attention. Both girls had heard plenty of lore surrounding the Light of Meridian, but all had either come from Kandrakar or Meridian itself; hearing about it from a place other than those two, might shed a little more light onto it and why both Elyon and Phobos's lives have been so grim. When Elyon didn't reply, Myra saw that as a cue to continue. "The founder of Meridian was a King by the name of Oro. In the early legend, he was a wise and kind ruler that knew right from wrong and helped his people. It was said that Meridian was a shining star amongst a sea of uncertainty. He kept the peace in Metarmoor and we would be nowhere if it hadn't been for him."

"If that is the case, then why do only women wear the crown of Meridian and are considered it's light?" asked Will, for her Myra was rambling and she was too tired to keep listening.

"I am getting to that," replied Myra and opened the book to a page marked with a red ribbon. When she looked at it, Will saw that it was a depiction of a family tree. "All gods stem from one being that visited Metarmoor when it was but a rock floating in space. This being somehow birthed seven children, one for each element, as well as one for light and one for shadows. The goddess of light was named Solas and she became a human after falling in love with one and gave birth to Oro. Now, Oro still had the other six gods and goddesses as family members, and all seemed to love their nephew; all except one, that is." She paused for dramatic effect, but her guests didn't seem to appreciate it, the bumpy ride didn't help the matters, so she quickly continued. "The goddess of shadow was named Inaska. Now, by all accounts, Inaska isn't evil. She was created to fill a role and she played the part. She was a trickster being that took joy in meddling in the affairs of the mortals around her."

"What does all this have to do with the Light of Meridian?" Elyon's nerves were wearing even thinner than Will's and she just wanted Myra to get on with it.

"Fine, I'll get to it. This next part was just a theory until the temple was discovered; At some point in the legends, Oro went crazy and started killed all that he perceived to be a threat. He went so crazy that he even married his eldest daughter, who was the only one who he believed wasn't out to kill him. Now, his daughter did eventually gain enough power to kill him and she became the first Queen of Meridian; earning the title of Light of Meridian for similar reasons. Since her, there have only been three other kings, one of them being with us today, and none of them were appreciated by their people, even though they did fantastic work with what they were handed. Now, no one knows exactly why Oro went crazy. It couldn't have been power, since he was already King long before his descent into madness. Now, my theory was that an outside force influenced Oro and made him become the monster people remember him as."

"And you believe that Inaska, the goddess of the unwanted, someone who has no control over people's minds, influenced Oro and made all of Meridian fear another male ruler?" By now, even Phobos was growing tired of Myra's history lesson. Especially since he already knew the legends and what the gods were capable of and what they weren't. "Does this temple contain any evidence to your claims?"

Just then, as though Myra had planned the timing perfectly, the carriage lurched to a full stop, nearly throwing Will off her seat if Phobos hadn't been there and caught her. With a grin as though she held all the winning cards in a poker game, Myra swung open the door to the carriage and jumped out. "As a matter of fact, I do. Come and see."

Though Phobos jumped out right after Myra and helped Will and Elyon out of the carriage just as fast, Myra had already climbed the withered steps of the temple and awaited them at the threshold that used to be closed by two massive doors, that had rotten away with time. When Elyon gazed around, she saw that they were in the middle of the woods and that trees, as thick as she was tall, had been cut down to create a clearing for the excavation of the temple. The woods were so thick at no sunlight made it to the forest floor, so Elyon wasn't surprised that the temple lay hidden for years. The temple itself was massive, made of white marble, and circular. In a way, its' structure reminded her of a wedding cake, if it hadn't been covered in dirt and roots from cut-down trees hadn't slung their way around the structure like wooden pythons. As though she were in a trance, Elyon climbed the old steps of the temple and gazed within it. The domed ceiling had partially collapsed in a few places and was held together only by moss and vines from the trees; still, she could see faint remnants stars and their constellations that had been painted on it with blue and gold paint. The floor, which was once as smooth as a mirror, was cracked, chipped, and dipped in a few places where the elements had gotten to it, but she could still tell how splendid it once was. The biggest impression, however, Elyon got from the statues that surrounded her. Entering the temple, the first she was faced with was that of the goddess Solas. She knew it was Solas by the wind stallions that pulled her chariot. Though the stallions were missing their snouts and one was missing both front paws, she could still tell what they were. Behind the statue of the goddess stood a large, circular, disk that had once been covered in gold to resemble the sun. Though most of the gold had been worn off by the years of sitting in the ruins, enough remained that Elyon could tell what it was and the remnants of the gold glowed in the light from the open door as though the disk were a shred from the sun itself. The statue of the goddess was missing its' arms and the nose, but Elyon could see that she must have been a true beauty and she thought she saw a slight resemblance between herself, her brother, and that statue. Then again, without a nose, many people looked alike. The statue's eyes had been set with blue sapphires and, though most had either fallen out or lost their shine, enough remained that the statue's eyes glowed in the sunlight.

"Wow." Was all the managed to escape Elyon's lips. Though the ruins were nothing more than old rocks, she could practically feel the history that slept within them. Behind her, Will let out an impressed whistle.

"I hate to admit it, but this place was worth the trip." Will gasped as her eyes moved from statue to statue, never settling on one for long enough as she was eager to see as much as possible.

"That is not all." Myra's voice echoes through the temple and her voice seemed to come from every corner because of the way the temple had been constructed. "The proof that exonerates all future male Meridian royals lies within the title engraved on this statue."

the group turned to see Myra kneeling at the base of a statue that they had missed since it stood in the blind spot of the door. If Myra hadn't pointed it out, they wouldn't have seen it until they left. It didn't help that the statue was little more than feet and the base; the rest of the statue was missing, and Will could tell by the markings on the stone, that this was caused deliberately. Someone wanted the statue gone from the existence and simply left the base and its' engraving intact out of respect.

"Here it says, clear as day in the old language. Goddess Inaska, protector of the discarded, bringer of suffering and misery and agony, creator of night and nightmares, mother of death and eagal."

"Eagal?" asked Elyon; she had learned a few words and phrases in the Meridian formal language, but she had never heard of that word.

"Eagal is old Metarmoor, what it stands for I am sure Myra will enlighten us." Phobos filled in the blanks as best he could, but he too had never heard of that word.

"Eagal mean fear or great fear." Responded Myra as she ran her fingers over the old carving in the stone. "In all the legends, Oro feared that someone was going to kill him. He was so afraid that he killed his infant son by throwing him in an open fire so the boy could never grow up to dethrone him."

"So, you are saying that this Inaska made this Oro go crazy with fear?" asked Will for clarification and clarification was what Myra was willing to hand out.

"Well, if you need more proof, Inaska isn't mentioned in other legends after Oro's death. Her last legend focuses on how she was cursed to wander the earth in mortal form for all eternity for committing a great offense against the gods. Now, that legend doesn't mention the exact crime, but what would make more sense than the other gods punishing her for messing with their beloved nephew? However, what is more important, is that it exonerates all Kings of Meridian; See, the people feared that the next Meridian King would end up like Oro. However, if the king didn't become crazy from within, but because of outside influences, it means that people should have to fear the next King."

For a moment, all three drew a blank on Myra's reasoning, but that lasted only a minute before Will broke out in a bright smile, laughed, turned and hugged Phobos tightly. She kissed him passionately before rushing to Myra and hugging her just as tightly. She was so happy that she could have cried; Myra simply looked between Elyon and Phobos while gently patting Will's back. She knew her findings would have a great impact on her cousin, but she didn't know it would be this great. Will was so happy about Myra's findings that she didn't even know how to put it into words. She understood why people hated Phobos, but she feared that should her child turn out to be a boy, that he would face similar hardships to its' father, and she didn't want that.

"Myra, you have no idea what you have done for our family." Will's voice shook and she fought to keep back the tears. She felt as though a tone of weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Well, I know people will hate Phobos for his actions and not what he was born as. I didn't expect this much cheer for my work." Replied Myra, still uncertain of how to treat the woman who, though she was married to Phobos, was a stranger to her.

"Should we tell her?" Phobos asked Elyon with a raised eyebrow and Elyon rolled her eyes in response.

"If you plan to keep it a secret, that train left ages ago. Just tell her so we can get back to the castle and enjoy some warm drinks. This temple is nice and all, but I am shivering in my shoes." It was true, she was shivering as hard as she was tall.

"Myra, I am happy to inform you that your efforts might have saved the life of a future Meridian heir. Wilhelmina is pregnant."

Myra froze for a second before she busted out in laughter and tightly hugged her cousin's wife. She had done it, years of sleepless nights and hard work had paid off. She had worked like a mad-woman not just for her cousin, but future generations as well, and now the future generation was just months away. If she were inclined enough, she'd kiss the woman hugging her for carrying the next Meridian heir under her heart. If that heir turned out to be a boy, she had just saved his life and future.

"Mother is going to be so happy to hear about this." Now Myra was close to tears, but she kept them at bay. She didn't cry in front of her family when times were hard, so she'd be damned if she cried in front of a woman who was a stranger to her. "How far along are you two?"

"We think about two months. It could be less, it could be more, but what does that matter? If it is a boy, he will be spared so much heartache." Replied Will and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. "How did you even get to discover all this? It must have been so much work!"

"Finding thinks out and protecting my family has always been a passion of mine, so all this was inevitable." Replied Myra and helped Will up from the ground.

"So, if Will had a boy and you didn't discover all this, that boy would have been treated like garbage by the people because of one crazy king that lived ages ago? Sorry, but I was brought up not to throw out the whole barrel because of one rotten apple." Elyon was shocked by all the new information and it wasn't difficult for her to piece together the possible path that caused her family so much grief.

"Elyon, had you grown up in Meridian as I had, you'd think differently." Was her brother's response and to that, Elyon had little to say. Despite all her brother had done, he was still her family and was married to her best friend, so she wanted to defend his name wherever she could; however, he had a point. The only reason she thought the way she did, was because she was raised away from Meridian. She wasn't exposed to the legends and way of thinking, so it was easy for her to say he had been shoehorned into being the villain.

Feeling as though she had only made the situation awkward and that she had lost yet another battle against her brother, Elyon shifted her attention back to the statue. It was beyond repair and would never be restored to its' former glory, which was a shame. If the goddess of light, Solas, was covered in gold and jewels, then what could this one have looked like? Slowly, her eyes wandered from the feet of the statue to the base engraved with its' prayer. Earlier, Myra had mentioned that Inaska wasn't evil, but performed a necessary job, but if Myra's theory was true, then maybe Inaska wasn't as innocent as a plumber making a mistake at fixing pipes. Then, her eyes wandered even lower, where she spotted something peculiar at the base. To double-check, Elyon quickly looked at the other statues, but they didn't share their sister's characteristics. "Myra, why are there twelve bowls engraved into the floor around the Inaska statue?"

"Oh, that is for the blood sacrifice." Was Myra's nonchalant answer.


End file.
